The Replacement
by Akhkharu Kashshaptu
Summary: SHORT HIATUS - Cassie is a big TVD fan, so when she wakes up in the very real Mystic Falls, she's confused yet excited. But she's now Carmen Gilbert, Elena's twin who wasn't in the show. So what does she do? Use her knowledge of the show for mischief, of course. But how will she handle meeting her favorite characters? Originals/OC
1. An Unusual Awakening

**A/N: Not my first fanfic, but the first I'm posting on here! I am obsessed with girl-falls-into-TVD-world fics, and I had an idea for one of my own that I just had to write it.**

**Starts at S1, E1. I'm going to keep the plot almost the same, though there will be quite a few drastic changes here and there. I have a lot planned out, and around mid-season 3 the show plot will go POOF and it'll all be my own storyline from there.**

**I see Carmen as Barbara Palvin with blonde hair, and I even kept the right height. If you're wondering what she looks like, the cover picture is of her, and there's also another picture linked on my profile.**

**With the whole OC/Original thing, that's my lazy way of saying the love-interests with be Elijah, Klaus and Kol. I haven't decided who I'd like her to end up with yet, so I guess we'll see as the story progresses.**

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**DISCLAIMER:**

_I don't own The Vampire Diaries or its characters, only my OCs Carmen and Cassie and whatever changes I make to the show's plot._

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**Chapter 1: An Unusual Awakening**

The sound of a shower woke me up, and it was as I went to rub the sleep from eyes that I noticed the first thing wrong. I poked myself with my nails, which was unusual, because I always had horribly weak nails that were too short to poke myself with.

I sleepily managed to open an eye and stare at my hands. The blurry image of naturally long, blood-red painted nails on tan fingers stared back at me. What the fuck? Those were definitely not my hands! It was the start of spring, and I'd stayed inside every day during the winter, leaving me as pale as a corpse. So how the hell were my hands _tan_?

That's when I noticed the second thing wrong. As my sluggish mind began to wake up a little more, I noticed my surroundings. First, I was in a large bed, probably queen-size. Which was odd, because _my_ bed was only a single. There were similar sheets at least – this bed had a pastel blue fluffy blanket, while mine usually had a pastel purple one.

I looked around the room, and while confused, I wasn't exactly _scared_. It was definitely a teenage girl's room. Next to the bed was a wide window with a window seat, and even a shelf that held several photos in pretty frames inlaid into it. The curtains and window seat upholstery were a matching forest-green. The walls were painted royal-blue and covered with endless posters and a few shelves holding books, CDs and DVDs, while the floor was a dark wood, with a pretty Persian rug.

There was a wooden vanity table, strewn with endless perfume bottles and makeup, a low chest of drawers next the vanity, and a bedside table to my left, but no other furniture I could see.

There were three doors in the room. The first I saw was between the foot of the bed and the vanity, and I immediately knew it was a closet door. The next was located between the far corner of the room and the chest of drawers. It looked like it could be the bedroom door, but so did the other one, which sat alone on the left wall.

I knew for sure that I had never seen this room before in my life.

It wasn't long before the third thing wrong came to my notice. I shook my head to wake myself up – because this was a dream, obviously – and my hair fell loose from the ponytail it'd been in. I glanced down only to realize my hair was now blonde. _Blonde_! I'd never been blonde in my life. My hair was, and always had been, your generic chocolate brown.

Feeling entirely wrong, I threw myself out of bed and stumbled over to the vanity's mirror. The girl who stared back at me was my age, but definitely not me.

She was tan, like the hands showed, but it was slightly olive-toned and definitely natural. Her fair hair was blonde like I'd noticed, unquestionably natural too, and fell messily down to her bust in layered waves. Her cat-like eyes were light blue unlike my hazel ones, and had naturally arched brows. Her lips were rosy-pink and pouty, while her nose small.

This girl in no way looked familiar. She was beautiful, her face looking like it belonged on the cover of Vogue. I decided I didn't mind being this girl, because she was undeniably gorgeous, more so than I had been. This dream was certainly pleasant, to say the least.

I looked down at my new body and was amazed that I seemed to be way taller than my usual 5'3'', and I was unquestionably slimmer than before. A toned kind of slim too, something I'd never achieved. I was only wearing a black tank top and matching pajama shorts, but it actually looked good on this body.

And if it couldn't get any better, it did. My bust was around the same size – a little larger than normal but not obviously so – though now my boobs were far perkier. I grinned.

I'd always loved change. Whether it be meeting new people, or visiting somewhere different for the first time, it didn't matter. I found monotony boring to the extreme. I always had to have something occupy my time, and I could never fall into a consistent routine. My old body wasn't something I enjoyed, but rather one I _dealt with_, so waking up like this was a dream come true.

Well, if I'm not actually dreaming.

Happy with the turn of events, whether they were real or not, I decided to check which of the identical doors led where. I went to the one in the corner first, and it opened up to a vaguely familiar hallway. I was certain I hadn't been in this house before, but maybe I'd seen a photo or something? I did plan on finding out soon enough.

Closing that door, I walked to the other one. The sound of the shower I'd heard seemed to have come from this direction, but it had stopped a few minutes earlier. I cautiously opened the door to see an empty bathroom, and sighed with relief. I didn't think I was ready to meet anyone yet.

The bathroom was actually pretty large for a shared one, which I knew it was not only by the sound of the shower earlier, but because there was another bedroom door opposite mine. There was a large mirror on the wall above the sink, and the shower and bath were one, with a plain white shower curtain, and a toilet in the corner.

There was a towel hanging on a rack beside the door, with the name _Carmen_ embroidered into it. Was I Carmen? And if so, was my family fucking rich or something? I hoped that was the case, and grinning, I decided to take a chance and have a shower. I happily noticed there were locks on the inside of both doors as well, so whomever I shared this bathroom with wouldn't walk in on me.

After my shower, when my body was no longer damp and letting my hair air-dry, I went over to the chest of drawers to find some underwear. The first drawer held bras only, and I found a simple white lace one to wear, despite the numerous different colors and styles to choose from. In the second drawer were the panties, and I found a pair that matched the bra.

This girl was really starting to grow on me. But if it was only dream... Dammit, I never wanted to wake up.

I fiddled with some of the random stuff sitting on top the chest of drawers, like pieces of jewelery, an antique gold box full of rings, and little scented candles. I made my way to the closet and opened it cheerfully, expecting to find clothes I'd usually wear. Our taste was so similar thus far, so I assumed our style would be the same too.

I was utterly disappointed. There were only three dresses, less than half of what I owned, and no skirts at all. I frowned at the sight of mostly shirts, blouses and jackets. I flounced back to the chest of drawers, and opening the third one down, found it to be full of jeans. So many jeans. All in black and different shades of blue.

One drawer left, and I was filled with hope. Only to have it crushed when I found that it didn't hold any skirts, and instead was filled half with denim shorts, and half with socks. I _never_ wore shorts! I examined the dresses in the closet again, but I intended to dress casually, and all the dresses were for fancy occasions.

Reluctantly turning back to the drawer full of jeans, I dug through it until I decided on a pair of black skinny-jeans with stylishly ripped knees. I added a loose white top from the closet, and found a pair of black flats with silver star-shaped studs on them. Good enough, I guess.

I considered finding a cardigan to wear, but I decided it was unusually warm for the early spring days I'm used to, and I probably didn't need one. In fact, it was _too_ warm for early spring. I caught sight of a calender sporting Salvador Dali's art and noticed the month said September. Which was early spring where I lived. So why the hell wasn't it cold anymore?

I went to the window and sat on the seat, looking outside. It was early in the morning, so it should be far colder than it was. Unless maybe there was a hidden heater in the room somewhere, or a central heating system in the house. I sighed and looked at the little shelf beside the window seat.

There was me, or the girl who's body I was _possessing_, posing in most of the photographs with another dark-haired girl who I again swear I recognised, though I didn't actually know her. I frowned, but at least I knew how this girl did her makeup now; thick mascara and frosty pink lipstick, with a hint of blush on her cheeks. She might not have the wardrobe for it, but I suspected she was a girly girl at heart.

I skipped to the vanity, and using the makeup I found there, applied it like the girl had in her photos. I inspected the perfume bottles until I found one I just knew I had to wear: Daisy by Marc Jacobs. I gave a girly squeal of delight as I sprayed it on my wrists and rubbed it behind my ears.

I used a hairbrush I found to comb through my now half-dry hair, and decided that keeping it down looked good enough. I pawed through a dish of earrings until I found a simple pair of diamante studs, and slid a few silver rings on my fingers from the gold box.

Now that I was done with getting ready, I only had one last task before I left the room – find out who the hell I was. My suspicions that this body's name was Carmen stuck with me, and I really hoped it was, because my real name was Cassie and they were similar enough that I wouldn't be _too_ confused.

It kind of shocked me how well I was accepting that this was my new body, and that I was entirely willing to act like her... to _be_ her. I was taking over somebody's life. Though the rational part of my brain kept reminding me that this was a dream, and I could wake up at any moment.

But again, I didn't _want_ to wake up. This world was so detailed and perfect so far, I wanted to stay forever. It felt so real too. I couldn't really be dreaming, could I?

I eyed the room again, and noticed a silver phone lying on the bedside table. I didn't think I could get more shocked, but I did. This phone was _old_. It was an LG slide phone that I'm pretty sure my friend had when we were in grade 9... and I graduated from high school a year ago. At least I knew how to use it.

I found the contact list and clicked through, hoping to get a good idea of names. I was left disappointed, but slightly amused. The list was made up of nicknames. Weird nicknames. I scrolled through and couldn't help but laugh. Aunty Awesome (really?), Barbie, Bitch (good bitch or bad bitch?), Bitch's Ex, Nihon, Perky, Stoner. Just to name a few.

There was a retro leather schoolbag resting against the bedside table, and I knew I was about to get some answers. There were a bunch of exercise books inside, with the name Carmen scrawled in pretty cursive on them. Thank the Lord and all that is holy! And I even knew Carmen's surname now, which was Gilbert.

_Like in The Vampire Diaries,_ I thought, grinning happily. It was one of my all time favorite shows, by far. _Or like that girl who was in the grade below me. What was her name again? Oh yeah, Ashley!_

Happy that I finally knew my name and could answer to it, I exited my new bedroom and began to make my way down the stairs. This house was definitely familiar, and so were the faint voices I heard talking from somewhere below.

"It's all about the coffee, Aunt Jenna." I was halfway down the stairs when I heard that sentence. That one sentence that made my heart slow for a few moments. I felt as if the world just stopped spinning and time itself had frozen.

No. No, no, no, no. This couldn't be right. Shit, I was definitely still dreaming. That was Elena fucking Gilbert's first line to her Aunt Jenna in season one of Vampire Diaries. Not just season one, but _episode_ one.

My mind continued swearing incoherently.

"Is there coffee?" Yep, that was definitely Jeremy. Holy fucking shit help me.

"Your first day of school, and I'm totally unprepared." Aunt Jenna stated as she went to her bag. She saw me frozen on the stairs and gave me a cheeky grin. "I'm sure you'll want some coffee as well. Because _you_ in the mornings? Oh boy."

I smiled weakly, my mind pretty much dead with shock, but from Jenna's reaction, it wasn't out of character for Carmen. But wait... If I was in the Vampire Diaries world, and my apparent last name was Gilbert, then was I Jeremy and Elena's sister? I appeared to be Elena's age, though physically I looked like Jenna more than anyone else because of my new fair hair.

Weird.

Gathering my wits, I finished making my way down the stairs to have Elena, who was shockingly about three inches shorter than me, pour me a cup of coffee. She smiled tightly, almost nervously, at me. I wondered if we'd had a strained relationship in the past. Seeing as Carmen wasn't even in the show, I had no idea. But if she didn't like Elena, then _good_. I didn't either.

I drowned my coffee in milk, and drank it quickly without adding any sugar while Jenna asked if anyone wanted lunch money. I shook my head and smiled. Their conversation continued but I didn't pay attention. Though a minute later I noticed Elena keep glancing at me as if she wanted to say something, so I raised my eyebrows at her. Why couldn't she just spit it out already?

"Bonnie's giving me a ride to school, and we were both wondering if you'd like to come with us? I know you're okay with driving yourself around after the, uh, accident, but I'd feel better if you were with me. It's our first day of junior year, so I'm feeling a bit anxious."

I shrugged, and went to rinse my coffee mug out. "Sure, thanks." I threw her a quick smile, though it was mostly at how good my new voice sounded to my own ears. And I was a junior as well, huh? That confirmed my suspicion that Elena and I were the same age.

Well, fuck me. I'm seventeen again, like in the Zac Efron movie, but not as drastic. Yesterday I was nearing my nineteenth, and today? Goddamn seventeen years old.

I ran upstairs and grabbed my school bag and a dark blue cardigan in case it got cold, because this was Mystic Falls and I definitely didn't trust the weather to stay warm, then decided to sit on my bed until Bonnie arrived. During that time, I got to think.

I was in the Vampire Diaries universe. Not only that, but I was in the body of the main character's sister... who doesn't exist in the show. It was the very beginning of season one, which meant I got to experience the arrival of the Salvatore brothers, among other things. I couldn't be dreaming either, because there were lots of details here that I would've forgotten since I last watched season one of the show.

Lots of stuff I'd noticed started to make sense. I was in America now, and so summer had just ended, not winter where I lived in Australia. That explained the warm weather. The house also looked familiar because I'd seen it so often in the show, but I didn't realize straight away because I'd never actually been here.

And the girl in the photos? Probably someone who was an extra in the show. I just hoped I would find out her name soon. I had a good guess that she was Carmen's, well now _my_, best friend. I hoped she was someone I'd like to be around, though I did tend to get along with everyone.

But oh God, Caroline in season one is just horrid! Elena is actually bearable for a while, I think, and Bonnie is cool when she's not being all 'Vampires are all evil and bad and I'm judging you'. Then there was the whole Vicki thing... Fuck, season one was _not_ my favorite season at all. In fact, I didn't start obsessing over the series until Elijah arrived in season two, and Klaus soon after.

Well fuck, this who body-possessing thing may be exciting, but it'll also be boring.

Could I change anything? Could I go out of my way to stop a character from, say, getting killed? I didn't know if changing the storyline would fuck it up entirely, but I had a feeling that the presence of Carmen would do that anyway.

So maybe I could have a little fun. I knew everything that was going to happen. If I was careful, I could make sure I was there for the exciting events, absent for the boring ones, and even meet Damon earlier than any other character if I wanted to. You know, for shits and giggles.

But I couldn't let anyone know that I'm not Carmen, and instead a girl named Cassie who knows everything about their lives, and their future. They would either think I'm crazy, or distrust me completely. Especially the Gilbert's and their friends.

For now, I had to go with the flow. But that didn't mean I wouldn't drop hints every now and again. As long as I sounded sarcastic, of course. Nobody would be none the wiser.

My new crappy phone buzzed with a text from 'Bitch', and curious to who it was, I couldn't open it fast enough.

Bitch:_ Bonnie just arrived, time to go._

I couldn't contain my giggles. So Elena was bitch, and from the way she acted around me, I had a feeling I meant it in the insulting way. Remembering my other contacts from before, I gave a good guess that 'Bitch's Ex' was Matt, 'Aunty Awesome' was Jenna, 'Stoner' was Jeremy, and 'Barbie' was Caroline. Bonnie wasn't exactly a perky person though, so I didn't know who that was. My mystery best friend, maybe? And who was Nihon? I knew that that's what Japan is called in Japanese.

Turning my grin into a light smile, I rushed out the front door and into the backseat of Bonnie's car. I had my first day of grade 11 all over again. And if this body-possession was permanent, then I'd have another two fucking years of school. I squirmed in my seat nervously and felt my smile fade even more.

At least this was the Vampire Diaries world. There would be enough supernatural crap stirring up trouble to make everything worth it.

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**Well, there was the first chapter! It hasn't really fallen into the storyline just yet, but I wanted this just to be an introduction chapter. Hopefully the next one will be longer as well, as will the others.**

**You may or may not have noticed that Cassie often switches between 'she/her' and 'I/my' when she talks about Carmen or Carmen's belongings. I did this on purpose to show how confused she is about everything, despite being completely okay with it. And I'm only telling you now to avoid any confusion. When Cassie learns more about Carmen and settles in to her new life, she'll transition to I/my completely.**

**And does anyone want to guess who Carmen's best friend is? I'll give you a hint: she doesn't have any lines until near the end of season 2, and she's very enthusiastic.**

**Please review what you think, and I'll get the next chapter out to you very soon!**


	2. Significant

**Chapter 2: Significant**

There was an awkward silence in the car, and now that I was entirely awake, my body was full of restless energy. This most certainly wasn't something I was used to, and assumed it was a Carmen thing.

"So Grams is telling me I'm psychic." Bonnie states cheerfully, trying to lift the moody atmosphere in the car. I grinned. "Our ancestors were from Salem, witches and all that. I know, crazy, but she's going on and on about it. And I'm like, 'Put this woman in a home already'."

I laughed. "I could definitely see you as a witch, Bonnie."

"Thanks Carmen. Grams is so adamant about me being one that I started thinking, I predicted Obama, and I predicted Heath Ledger. And I still think Florida will break off and turn into little resort islands." She paused and glanced at Elena, who was completely spaced out. "Elena, back in the car."

Elena turned to the best friend that she was _ignoring_ and shook herself out of the stupor. "I did it again, didn't I? I'm sorry Bonnie. You were telling me that-"

"She's a psychic now." I cut in, just to rub it in Elena's face that _I_ was listening.

Elena shot me a look that I didn't have enough time to interpret before she faced Bonnie again. "Right, okay, then predict something about me."

Bonnie smiled at the challenge. "I see-" She was cut off as a bird flew into the windscreen, and the car screeched sideways before coming to a quick stop. Elena was terrified, breathing heavily. "What was that?!"

I shrugged absently. "Just a bird... Which you most certainly did _not_ see, Bonnie."

My joke fell on deaf ears though, as Elena was going into panic-attack mode.

"Oh, my God. Elena, are you okay?"

"It's okay. I'm fine." My sister lied.

Bonnie was thoroughly unconvinced. "The bird, it came out of nowhere."

"Really, I can't be freaked out by cars for the rest of my life." Elena tried to console her friend. I forgot how damn dramatic _every_ little thing was in the first season. Because there wasn't as much big drama like there was in later seasons – like the introduction of The Originals and Silas – everything else had to seem ten times worse than it is.

Bonnie finally made her prediction that this year was going to be kick-ass and the dark times are over and blah blah unicorns farting rainbows, basically she was wrong... mostly.

"Well, I predict that this year is going to be full of sexy bad boys and lots of adrenalin." I added, and the other girls just rolled their eyes at me. Too bad that I was right.

When we arrived at Mystic Falls High School, I was instantly hit with all the horrible fashion. I had to remind myself that season one and two were set in 2009, so the technology and fashion was going to be way behind. I was bombarded with knee-high boots, ill-fitted hoodies and bootleg jeans. It hurt to look at.

I tore my eyes away from the fashion tragedies and glanced up at the huge, three story building they called 'school'. It was off-white in color, with burgundy trimmings. I'd never actually paid attention to how it looked before, and seeing it in person was definitely dumbfounding. This place looked more like a several-thousand dollar private school than something public in a small town.

I followed close behind Bonnie and Elena into the school and through several hallways, smiling at those who smiled at me, and watching halfheartedly as the girls examined everyone.

"Major lack of male real estate." Bonnie pointed out, as if she hadn't known all these kids her whole life. "Look at the shower curtain on Kelly Beech. She looks like a hot- Can I still say 'trannie mess'?"

I followed the direction she was facing and saw a ginger girl wearing a vintage style blue and green floral dress. Honestly, it looked better than half the clothes I'd seen already, and I forgot how much Bonnie acted like a cliché popular girl during this season. Basically, she was a bitch. And so was Elena, for holding back her laughter.

"No, that's over." Elena said nonchalantly to Bonnie's question.

Bonnie huffed. "Ugh. Find a man and coin a phrase. It's a busy year."

Yeah, it will be with learning about vampires and growing your witchy powers. Not to mention that _everyone_ who knows you're a witch will use you for their own wants and needs. Busy year indeed.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I spun around, coming face-to-face with the girl from the photos in my room. She was smiling widely, and I instantly remembered her. It was Dana, the girl that constantly got compelled by Klaus.

"Dana, hey!" I returned the grin she shot me and gave her a big hug.

"Come on, let's get to our lockers before class starts." I nodded and followed her down the hall a bit until she stopped. I stood there awkwardly, unsure of which locker was mine. Dana waved a hand in front of my face and giggled. "Hello, you in there Carm? Your locker is on the other side of mine."

I nodded and gave her a playful shrug. "Sorry, I'm just so not in the mood for school. Why did vacation have to end?" I stood at my locker blankly yet again. "Um, you don't happen to remember my combination, do you? This last summer has completely wiped my brain."

"Oh, I completely understand. Don't worry." A concerned look fell over Dana's face, and she moved to put my combination in for me. "I'll write it down on a piece of paper so you can remember it again later."

"I'm so glad you're my best friend." I gushed happily and pulled Dana in for another hug. I had a theory that this is the way Carmen would act, and seeing as I didn't get a weird reaction, I knew I was right. It was also the way I usually acted with my own friends, so I didn't feel strange by doing it. I was a very cuddly person by nature.

"Come on, let's go to history." She said, linking her arm with mine after I closed my locker. What was the point in opening it in the first place? "We don't want Mr Tanner to take his endless anger out on us."

"Oh, God no." I laughed. Inside I was dying though. I hated Mr Tanner in the show, and wasn't looking forward to actually being in his class. I'd had enough asshole teachers for a lifetime.

Dana and I sat beside each other at the back of the classroom. I had a pretty good view of both Matt and Stefan staring at Elena, who only glanced at Stefan back. So much teen drama, it hurt. When Tanner wasn't looking, Dana slipped me a piece of paper with my locker combo on it, and I slid it into my book where I hopefully wouldn't lose it.

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At lunch I sat outside on the grass with Dana, two other girls, and two guys. The only other person I recognised was Chad, the guy that Dana went to the 60s decade dance with in season two. Or _will _go with, I guess.

"How was your summer?" Dana asked me casually, taking a bite out of her apple. "It was your Uncle John who you stayed with, right?"

I didn't think there _was_ another uncle I could've stayed with, so I nodded cheerfully. "Yeah, him. It was fun actually. Nice to get away from everything, after, you know..." Everyone nodded knowingly. "Actually, I have a question to ask. It might seem weird."

"Go ahead."

"Okay, how would you describe me? I mean, how would you describe my personality to somebody who doesn't know me? My likes, dislikes, that sort of stuff." I noticed a few questioning glances. "I feel like I changed over summer, and I wanna do some comparisons."

Dana grinned. "I'd say you're a lot like me, until you get pissed off."

"Yeah, super friendly and bubbly," Chad described in further detail. "But when somebody annoys you – which is super easy to do and you know it – they better watch out. When you're angry, it's like how you act in the mornings, but a hundred times worse. Like, Godzilla bad." He winked playfully at me and I rolled my eyes. "But, you are very quick to forgive. And you only really dislike someone if they piss you off constantly."

"Like Elena," I laughed.

"You _love_ the outdoors." A blonde girl added, smiling. "Except when we're at school, you generally tend to wander outside if you've been cooped up for too long. And when we don't know where you are, it's either the Grill, or the Falls."

"Yes, good one Karen! And you always go swimming in the lakes when it's warm enough." Dana continued. "And you love partying. Definitely partying. And you're a total girly girl but refuse to wear dresses because 'Jeans are perfect for _every occasion ever_'!" She mimicked my voice perfectly and I laughed along with her. "So, what do you think has changed?"

I shot Chad a playful smirk. "Well, Uncle John is the most annoying person you could ever meet, so I think it'll be a lot harder to piss me off now. Like, very hard." He rolled his eyes at me. "I feel more laid back, I guess. And," I shot Dana a huge grin, "I actually have this weird craving to start wearing skirts and dresses, but I just don't have any."

Dana squealed like I just said I'd won the lottery and she threw her arms around me, making us both tumble over on the grass. "Oh, my God. This is the best news ever! I love the new you even more than the old you! Oh, can we go shopping this weekend?"

I giggled and agreed, glad that Carmen's friends were my favorite type of people. And I felt secretly happy that they seemed to prefer me over her. I didn't know if that made me a bad person, seeing as I basically stole this body, but I was far too blissful to care.

* * *

I got a text from Elena after school, asking if I wanted to visit our parents' grave with her. I almost declined, because I felt awkward going when they weren't my real parents, but then I remembered that Damon would be at the graveyard. I agreed, knowing that she would run into one Salvatore brother, while I would run into the other.

Plus, I apparently loved the outdoors. Going to a cemetery would count, right? I wanted everyone to know that I had changed, but I did also have to stay in character.

So I met Elena out the front of the school and we decided to walk there, declining Bonnie's offer to give us a lift. It only took around fifteen minutes, and my new body had so much energy that I wasn't at all tired. The old me unquestionably would have been.

When we entered the cemetery, a crow cawed, and Elena looked around nervously. Being here made her on edge, despite the open layout and bright sunshine. I loved birds though, and knowing it was Damon's made me feel dizzy with a fangirlish glee. Elena sped up her pace until we finally reached Miranda and Grayson Gilbert's grave.

She sat down against a grave opposite it, one with a statue on top, and pulled out her diary. I couldn't help but feel Elena was being a little disrespectful to that grave, seeing as she wasn't here to visit the owner of it, _and_ there was even a stone bench nearby. While she wasn't looking, I picked a few wild flowers and placed them down behind the gravestone.

Looking around, I couldn't help but notice how cliché this graveyard was. Back where I lived, the graves were organized in rows, while here they were all over the place, and not even in any particular pattern. In some places there were clumps of headstones in similar shapes, and I assumed they were family plots. This town was old, and small, so most generations of families lived here until they died. Especially the founding families.

Damon's crow landed on the Gilbert headstone and cawed again. Elena looked up at it warily, pausing her writing.

"Okay. Hi, bird." She said as if I wasn't there to hear her talking to a wild animal like a crazy person would.

I rolled my eyes. "Don't worry Elena, you're not insane as long as the bird doesn't talk back." The bird cawed yet again and I couldn't help but giggle. Damon was an ass.

"That's not creepy or anything." She tried to keep writing but some very obvious fog was creeping up on us. Elena was starting to irrationally freak out, and the crow continued its cawing. She jumped up and flapped her hand at it. "Shoo! That's what I thought."

She turned and saw the crow again, now sitting on the other grave's statue. She slowly grabbed her school bag and rushed away.

I didn't move, and instead looked at the bird dead in the eye. "Sudden fog on a bright and sunny day? That's not obvious at all."

The crow flew away and I felt a sudden tug on my arm. I thought maybe Damon had decided made an appearance specifically to me, but it turned out to be Elena.

"Come on," She said, pulling me into a run alongside her while glancing around nervously. "I feel like someone's watching us."

We both turned at the same time and saw a dark figure, who I knew was Damon, standing half-hidden behind an angel statue watching us. I wanted to go back and confront him. I didn't know what I would say, but I wanted to meet this particular Salvatore while he was still evil, and not all whipped over Elena.

But my new sister wasn't putting up with any trouble from me, and roughly pulled me into the line of trees with her. Elena was a clumsy runner, and when she fell it was almost comical. But instead of laughing like I wanted to, I helped her up.

She stared off towards where we'd just come from, and for the sake of Stefan, I decided to copy her. We turned around at the same time to see Stefan there, like I knew we would

"You two okay?" He asked us, and I nodded in reply.

Elena sighed. "Were you following us?"

He glanced at me and then back at her. "No, I just- I saw you fall."

"Uh-huh." Elena was still so freaked out that she didn't believe a word he said. "And you just happened to be hanging out in a cemetery."

"I'm visiting. I have, uh, family here."

"Oh." Elena looked down, obviously feeling like a major bitch. "Wow, tactless. I'm sorry. It's the fog. It's making me foggy. Then back there, there was this bird. And it was all very Hitchcock for a second. That is the bird movie, right? The Hitchcock...?"

"You're rambling..." I muttered, and she blushed bright red.

"I'm Elena." She finally said, smiling bashfully and holding out a hand for Stefan. "And this is my twin, Carmen."

Wait a fucking minute? _Twin_? I thought we were just _sisters_ in general, not bloody twins! Though it did make sense as to why we were both juniors. But we really looked nothing alike, at all. Wow, this was getting interesting.

"I'm Stefan." He shook Elena's hand first, then mine.

Elena grinned. "I know. We have history together."

"And English and French." Stefan added.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes and grin. "I'm gonna see if Dana wants to go to the Grill. See you guys later."

Before they could stop me, I left the future lovebirds to their first _real_ meeting.

I met up with Dana, Chad and the blonde Karen girl at the Mystic Grill, where we immediately ordered drinks and claimed a pool table. I'd never been good at billiards unless I was really drunk, but my new body was far more coordinated and I did pretty well with only cherry coke in my bloodstream.

We played for an hour or two, until the four of us were all growing hungry and decided to find a table before it got too packed. We claimed a booth in the middle of the building.

I watched, amused, as small things happened around me that I'd practically forgotten about. Like Vicki serving Matt and Tyler, only to have Jeremy approach her after. I remembered that Vicki had been his first, and seeing as I was his sister now, I would totally pretend I overheard their conversation and confront him later.

Caroline and Bonnie arrived together soon after, and from the way Caroline grinned and talked animatedly, I knew it was about Stefan. Because I hadn't watched season one in such a long time, it took me a while to figure everything out all over again. But as long as I knew the major plot points, I'd be alright.

Chad had ordered a large serving of fries for the table, and when they arrived my mouth was watering. I usually wouldn't indulge in greasy food, but I assumed this body had a fast metabolism due to the unending energy I felt throughout the day. Even now I felt more awake than ever, which was both weird and pleasant at the same time. I gave in to the salty temptation in front of me.

Elena entered the Grill with Stefan while I was eating, and I shot them both a smile before Matt approached them: something I remembered. I turned my attention back to my friends to find that they were discussing the back to school party at The Falls.

"Carmen, what are you gonna wear?" Dana asked me, before her eyes lit up. "Wait, do you want to borrow one of my dresses?"

I was so keen to say yes, but I remembered the party well and for the first time believed in Carmen's fashion philosophy. "I know I said that I want to start wearing skirts and dresses, but I'm _still_ a jeans kinda girl. But thanks for the offer, I'll hold you to it." I winked.

"Yeah, you better." Dana laughed. "I swear, I'll have to take a photo every time you casually wear a skirt or dress, just to prove it's real."

Chad grinned. "We'll even make a scrapbook, and have it full in a year's time for your eighteenth."

I giggled and gave him a high-five, then noticed that Karen was being really silent, and had a thoughtful look on her face. "What's on your mind?"

"Well, I think that we should all change, like you have." She smiled, her pretty hazel eyes crinkling. "For the better, of course. It can be a thing between us. I mean, we've just started junior year. It can be like a new-grade resolution."

Dana giggled. "I actually like this idea. So, what type of changes do you think would be good?"

"Well, it doesn't have to be anything big." Karen shrugged. "It could be getting a new haircut, or mixing up our daily routine. Or even finally asking out that person we've been crushing on for_ever_!"

"Sounds good to me." Chad nodded, then gave a lazy half-smile. "Okay, but how about this. We don't tell anyone what we've decided to change, and everyone has to guess what it is. It doesn't matter how obvious, as long as someone can notice it one way or another."

My three friends nodded, shaking each others hands to seal the deal. I smiled to myself, feeling giddy that I had only been in this world for a day, and yet my presence was positively impacting those around me.

These people weren't even a key element of the show, but right then, they were significant to me.

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**Okay, this chapter isn't as long as I wanted it to be. But there are so many different scenes in the first episode and I didn't want to do too many time-skips.**

**How do you all feel about Carmen being Elena's twin? I never intended to make her that, but I saw no other choice. Actually, there's more to the family situation that you'll find out a little later in the season, mostly to do with the whole adoption thing.**

**I plan to finish writing out episode 1 in the next chapter. Like Cassie, season 1 is my least favorite and I just can't wait to be over and done with it. But because Carmen doesn't hang around Elena's friends (except when at home, she's not with them), she won't be there for any of the drama she thinks is pointless or boring, and so that should speed things along.**

**Please review what you think, and throw in any suggestions you have as well!**


	3. Friendship Blossoms

**Time to finally finish episode 1! I hope you're all enjoying the story so far :)**

**Replies to my awesome reviewers will be at the end of the chapter!**

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**Chapter 3: Friendship Blossoms**

"The Battle of Willow Creek took place at the end of the war in our very own Mystic Falls." Mr Tanner droned on about the history of a town that still was, to me, fictional. It was my second day in this body/world, but I was nevertheless wondering if I'd wake up at any moment. "How many casualties resulted in this battle? Miss Bennett?"

Bonnie stopped doodling in her notebook and looked up at the teacher. "Um... A lot? I'm not sure. But, like, a whole lot." Several students in the class snickered at her.

"Cute becomes dumb in an instant, Miss Bennett." Tanner retorted, and I couldn't help but agree with the dickhead. Bonnie wasn't a dumb person, and it kinda saddened me that she used to act this way before all the supernatural stuff. No wonder she couldn't find a guy. "Mr Donovan. Would you like to take this opportunity to overcome your jock stereotype?"

Matt looked at him blankly, before smiling. "It's okay, Mr Tanner. I'm cool with it."

I face-palmed at how bratty everyone was. It was one thing to watch it in a show and find it amusing, but when you're actually there to see it? It turned absolutely cringe-worthy. Even worse was how everyone laughed at Matt's answer. I would've expected more snickering.

"Elena?" Tanner finally asked, and it was obvious to how pissed off he was getting. "Surely you can enlighten us to one of the town's most historical events."

My twin (it was so weird to think of her as that) shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't know."

"I was willing to be lenient last year for obvious reasons, Elena. But the personal excuses ended with summer break." That was a low blow, but for the first time, I kind of understood Mr Tanner. History was his passion, and the fact that these teenagers couldn't even answer a simple question about their town's history was insulting to him. But still, that was no excuse to be a heartless shithead. A few people glanced my way, and so did he. "How about you, Carmen?"

This was supposed to be when Stefan cut in, but my presence must have altered that. I didn't remember Stefan's exact answer, though I did remember the number. "346 casualties, sir."

"Correct, Miss Gilbert." Mr Tanner look noticeably relieved, until Stefan opened his mouth.

"Unless you're counting the local civilians." Ah, so that was the rest of what he said in the show.

I knew that this is when Stefan and Tanner were going to have their first disagreement, and doubting I'd be called on again for the rest of the period, I began doodling in my notebook like Bonnie had been. I was a fairly decent drawer, thankfully something that didn't change with this new body. But I rarely sketched anymore just for the sake of it, and would only find myself scribbling out a picture when I was bored.

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The rest of the school day flew by without a hitch, despite me being way too excited for the back to school party. Dana came over to my house after school, and helped me pick out an outfit for the night. She herself was dressed in a cute maroon dress, black stockings, ankle boots, and a cropped leather jacket.

After much discussion, we finally decided on me wearing cropped jeans, leather boots, and a lacy purple top under a black jacket. Dana offered for me to stay at her house with Karen and another girl we hung out with – Jane – after the party, but I already had my own plans for the night, and made an excuse about Jenna wanting me to come home.

When we arrived at the party, I was in awe. Yet again, seeing this stuff in person was so different to seeing it on a TV screen. There was a hut-type thing made out of logs that most people gathered around, strung up with lights. More lights were placed in random trees around the area, and in the distance, I could see the bridge over The Falls strung with some of them too.

I wondered what the hell was generating all the power for the lights, then decided I didn't care. There was an abundance of free alcohol, and even though it was beer, I grabbed a bottle anyway. If I knew anything about The Vampire Diaries, it was that the characters only ever drank beer, bourbon and tequila. Not that I was complaining about the last two, but I was more of a vodka and midori girl myself. I liked to drink my sweets, not eat them.

Dana and I found the rest of our friends sitting on a long tree trunk that had fallen just a little ways away from most of the party crowd. We sat with them, and I felt proud to know who they all were now. Minus Dana, Chad and Karen, there was Jane; a short girl with light brown hair and who blushed whenever she saw Matt Donovan, and Ben; a cute Asian guy who had the most obvious crush on Jane.

From where we sat, there was a gap in the trees and I could see the stars. The constellations were different in the Northern Hemisphere, or at least it seemed that way to me, and I found myself entranced by them. I quickly realized that I was zoning out, but when I paid attention again, my friends were only telling stories about their day at school.

Excusing myself, I went back to the main part of the party and got myself another beer. I leaned against a tree as I drank it quickly... or as quick as I could without retching. I saw a fair few people holding those traditional red cups, and went to investigate what was filling them after I threw my empty bottle in a nearby bin.

Turns out somebody had brought several caskets of cheap wine, or as I would call them back in Australia, goon sacks. Nobody was watching over the wine, and feeling a familiar urge, I removed a silver sack from one of the boxes and took it back to my friends.

"Hey guys," I said, holding the sack above my head and pressing the button to poor the wine in my mouth. It was the exact opposite of classy, but I couldn't care less. At my friends' horrified faces, I giggled and came up with a good lie. "So I met some Australians when I was with Uncle John this summer, and I snuck out to party with them one night. They told me that they call these 'goon sacks', and this is actually how they drink from them. Who wants to try it?"

Karen and Jane rolled their eyes, but Dana's twinkled with mischief. "Hand it over."

I did as she said, and watched gleefully as she copied my actions of holding the sack up and pouring the liquid in her mouth. She had a few mouthfuls before handing the sack to Chad, and I gave her a high-five for trying something new first.

In the end, I managed to convince Karen and Jane to have a go, though I was the one who ended up drinking most of the crappy, bitter wine. And of course, that meant I was the drunkest too. But even intoxicated beyond belief, I wasn't one too litter. I collected an armful of empty beer bottles that were scattered around my friends, and went to go find the bin from earlier.

It took me a while to find it, but I didn't give up until I did. As I began to make my way back to the log yet again, Elena grabbed my arm and dragged me along with her towards the woods. I saw the aggravated look on her face, and knew what part of the scene this was. We were about to find an animal attack victim.

"Is this about-"

"Jeremy!" Elena shouted out to our brother, finishing my sentence for me. She let go of my arm once she knew I was following, not even noticing how drunk I was. She was that determined. "Jeremy, where the hell are you going?"

He barely acknowledged us. "I don't wanna hear it. Unh!" On cue, Jeremy tripped over Vicki's body and landed on top of her, face to face. He slowly raised himself up. "Vicki? No. Oh, my God, it's Vicki."

Elena shoved a hand through her hair nervously, staring down at the body. "Oh, my God."

"Is that blood on her neck?" I questioned, feeling the need to say something as if I hadn't watched this very scene in a show before. But I was very drunk, and looking down at what could pass as a dead body wasn't exactly nice to my stomach, so the disgust in my voice was authentic.

"Yeah, it is..." Jeremy muttered, moving his hand to touch Vicki's cheek. When the girl jerked awake, I squealed with surprise. I had forgotten that part, and certainly wasn't ready for it.

Elena was more level-headed in her mostly sober state. "Somebody help!"

Jeremy picked up Vicki's body bridal-style, and we stumbled back into the main part of the party as quickly as we could. Hordes of drunken teens surrounded us once they noticed what was happening.

"Vicki?" Matt called out, running over to us, anxiety etched in his features. "Vicki, what the hell?"

"What happened?" Tyler demanded, though the only reply was Matt yelling, "Call an ambulance!"

They laid Vicki out on one of the many wooden tables, and I slowly backed away. I felt bad getting caught up in the drama, especially when I would be no help and would get in the way. I found Dana and went to stand beside her, the both of us watching the unfolding events.

"Everybody back up!" Tyler yelled, pushing curious idiots away. "Giver her some space."

Elena was examining Vicki's wound, looking thoroughly horrified. "It's her neck! Something bit her. She's losing a lot of blood."

Vampires could be such assholes. I almost felt bad for Vicki, but considering what was going to happen to her in the future, this was practically nothing. And as bitchy as it sounds, she was probably too drunk to feel anything. Damn, even _I_ was too drunk to feel the pain when I pinched myself.

It wasn't long before the paramedics, police, and an animal control unit arrived. I was standing off with Dana, who was trying not to freak out. I rubbed her arm consolingly.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay at my house tonight?" She asked, fear in her eyes. "Because this is... is insane. A wild animal? What the hell!"

I pulled my friend in for a hug. "It's gonna be okay, Dana. Vicki is alive, and I'm sure they'll find whatever animal did this. But I can't stay tonight, because of what Jenna said... and now Jeremy needs his family. He had a thing with Vicki, did you know? Like, more than just drugs. I overheard them talking."

"You're kidding, right?" Dana's frown disappeared, and I was glad to see the amusement in her expression. "Well, I gotta go find Karen and Jane. We should get back to mine before this animal comes back for another attack. You stay safe, okay Carm?"

"I will, so you better as well." We hugged again, and Dana left to find our other friends.

Bonnie found me soon after, and immediately noticed how drunk I appeared. I was practically clinging to a tree now that Dana was gone. "Mainline Coffee?"

"You know it." I grinned, and let her help me over to where Elena was standing by herself near the log-hut.

"Hey," Bonnie said, looking to her best friend with worried eyes. "We're gonna go to Mainline Coffee and wait for news."

Elena nodded, glancing at me quickly and then to our brother, sitting several feet away by himself. "I gotta take Jeremy home."

"Elena, there's no way I'm psychic. I know that. But whatever I saw, or think I saw... I have this feeling-"

I was only half-listening, but Bonnie had Elena's full attention. "Bonnie, what?"

"That's it's just the beginning."

Well, she got that right.

A dehydration headache was slowly beginning to pound painfully through my brain, and I just really wanted to get some coffee into my system. But if anything, that would make the headache worse. I guess water would have to do.

Bonnie was sober enough to drive, so she was the one who took Caroline and I to Mainline. They found a two-person table, but I dragged over a chair so I could sit to the left of Caroline. We were both drunk, me more so than her, but equally as moody. She was upset about rejection and drowned it in coffee, and I was in pain and drowned it in a large glass of water.

"Are either of you sober yet?" Bonnie asked us.

I groaned in reply and rubbed my temples, while Caroline lifted her head from where it rested on her hands. She looked like she was thinking for a few seconds. "Nope." She dropped her head again.

"Keep drinking." Bonnie told us, smiling like a concerned mother. "I gotta get you both home. I gotta get _me_ home."

The blonde beside me suddenly looked up. "Why didn't he go for me? How come the guys that I want never want me?"

"I'm not touching that."

I shrugged. "Your personality can sometimes appear too intense for some guys. The ones you want are probably all really laid-back."

"I'm inappropriate." She stated, as if that's what I meant all along. It kind of was. "I always say the wrong thing. And Elena always says the right thing. Ugh. She doesn't even try. And he just picks her. And she's always the one that everyone picks for _everything_. And I try _so hard_, and I'm never the one that..." She trailed off.

"I understand, but you shouldn't let it get you down." I told her. I really did understand, too.

Back when I was Cassie, you know, like two days ago, I had a best friend named Molly. We basically had the same personality, and we both made friends easily. We even looked related, with our brown hair, hazel eyes, and similar build. But people were always drawn to Molly first, and me second. The boys liked her better, and while she had several boyfriends during her life, I'd only had two. Two very short relationships, while hers got longer with each one. Her most recent was over a year long, while my longest was a month.

But I didn't hate Molly for that, and instead I was glad. Even though I was second, I still made all the same friends. And she attracted the attention of all the most beautiful people, inside and out. I could've let myself become bitter by comparing us all the time, but instead I looked on the bright side. Caroline needed to do that more often.

"It's not a competition, Caroline." Bonnie shook her head sadly, and I agreed with her entirely.

But a drunken understanding appeared in Caroline's eyes, and she nodded lightly. "Yeah, it is."

I quickly drank the rest of my water, before refilling it from the jug that sat on the table. I wanted to say something to make Caroline feel better, but I didn't know what. I wasn't as drunk as before, but I still didn't trust myself to say an empowering speech that ended up sounding horribly wrong.

"I'm gonna go pay for the coffee..." Bonnie said, standing up and walking off before we could reply. She definitely wanted to escape the awkward silence that fell over the table.

Caroline stood up too, wobbling a little. "And I need the toilet. Like, badly."

After she left, I stared off at nothing, slowly becoming aware of Damon staring at me from a few tables down. And then I remembered that this was part of my plan all along, before my intoxicated mind completely forgot. I intentionally got so drunk that I'd go to Mainline with Bonnie, and then meet Damon there seeing as my plan to meet him at the cemetery was unintentionally ruined by Elena.

My mood instantly brightened, as if the last conversation never happened.

Damon smiled lightly at me, and I just stared, until he tilted his head to the side and I couldn't help but feel my lips stretch into a smile. But no way was I going to let him get in my pants and become his personal feeder. I had fangirled over Damon when I first watched the show... until The Originals were introduced. And then Damon got so whipped over Elena it was unbearable, even though I shipped them with all my passion.

But until he was a whipped lapdog, I wanted to play with Damon my own way. I covered my mouth with my hands, so nobody who looked at me would think I was talking to myself.

"I know you can hear me," I whispered, and Damon's smile faded. I grinned. "And I have no intention of letting you do to me what I know you plan to do. I know what you are, and I think we should be friends. If you agree, I'll even let you have fun with Caroline, the other drunk blonde."

It may have seemed like I was bargaining over Caroline for my own personal needs, but I really did think her relationship with Damon is what changes her into a better person as a vampire. I needed to make sure she still got with him, and I needed to make him want to be my friend. Two birds with one stone.

Damon raised an eyebrow and smirked. He leaned back in his chair and studied me.

"If you agree, I'll give you my number so we can stay in touch. What do you say?"

To my delight, Damon stood up and came waltzing over. "I say we've got ourselves a deal." He smirked again and pulled out a phone, handing it to me so I could put my number in. I handed him my phone to do the same.

After we swapped back, Damon left just before Caroline got back to the table, Bonnie soon after.

"Who was that?" The blonde asked, her tone curious yet slightly jealous.

I grinned up at her. "_That_ was Damon, who just so happened to be asking about you. I told him your name and nothing more, just to keep a little bit of mystery. Guys love mysterious girls."

Caroline's eyes widened with happiness, and she couldn't hold back her toothy grin. Even Bonnie looked happy, now that someone was interested in Care. And a really hot someone, too.

I did feel a little bad that Caroline would only be abused by him, but I saw no way to avoid this. She was a vapid bitch now, but as a vampire, she would be a thousand times more pleasurable to be around, not to mention far more mature. I was doing everyone a favor, and they didn't even know it.

The drive home felt good as everyone was in a great mood. Lifted spirits and all that. I was still fairly drunk, but I no longer felt gross and headache-y. When Bonnie dropped me off, I entered the house to find Elena and Stefan innocently talking on the couch. They both turned to look at me as I fumbled with closing the door.

"You're drunk," Elena stated in her authoritative, boring parental voice that made it clear she was in charge of me.

"I don't know, mum, am I?" I retorted with a grin, stealing one of Stefan's lines from when he had no humanity in season three.

My sister shot Stefan an apologetic glance before getting off the couch and dragging me into the kitchen by my arm, which seemed to be a habit of hers. But her grip on my arm was far too hard and I shot her a glare. I hadn't been trying to offend her, and yet she still over-reacted.

"You were gone the whole summer, and now you decide to get extremely drunk before you've even been back a week." She whispered furiously at me, throwing her hands up in the air with frustration. "What's changed you so much, Carm? When mum and dad died, you acted like nothing had even happened. Then the second summer break started, you practically begged Uncle John, who you _hate_, to let you stay with him. You told me it was because you couldn't stand to look at me. And when you got back, you start acting like nothing happened all over again."

I leaned back against the kitchen bench tiredly, though really I was curious. I now knew how I reacted to the accident, and why I was with John _all_ summer. "And what's so bad about that, Lena? We all mourn differently."

"It's bad because you hate me! We rarely got along before the accident, but afterwards you couldn't handle my existence. It's like you wish I had died too..." Elena was crying now, but I didn't feel bad. That was the real Carmen, not me. "What is it about me that makes you hate me?"

Here we go. I was about to get rid of my pent up frustration towards Elena. As long as I stayed in character...

"You're a judgmental control freak. You had no control over whether our parents lived or died, so now you have to control every other aspect of your life, and the lives around you. Jeremy and I are mourning in our own ways, and we'll get over it in our own time. But according to you, we're not doing it right. We're _wrong_, because it doesn't sit well with you. So that's why I began to hate you. You're a fucking bitch."

Elena sucked in a sharp breath, her face going from enraged to broken. She needed a good old wake up call about her personality, which rarely occurred in the show. And when it did, she would get all defensive. But I didn't feel bad, because I wasn't done yet.

"But this summer with Uncle John changed me again, Elena. In a better way." Before either of us knew what was happening, I pulled her into a hug. "I don't hate you anymore. God, you still piss me off. But you're my sister, and we're going to need each other sometimes, whether we like it or not. I want to mend our relationship. It won't be the same, but it'll get better for us."

Surprisingly, I meant every word. I really didn't like Elena's character in the show, but I figured, seeing as _I'm_ here now, I should at least try to change it. And the best way to make someone a more likeable person was through kindness. It wasn't in my nature to hate somebody without giving them several chances.

Elena was sobbing into my shoulder, and I gently stroked her hair. She pulled back and grinned at me, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You have no idea how much that means to me, Carm."

"I think I do." I laughed, finding a box of tissues and handing her one. "Family is important."

Elena grinned. "It is... And that's why I'm going to try and be a better sister for you and Jer. I'll try and be less bossy, I promise."

"Yeah, leave that for Aunt Jenna."

She laughed and gave me another hug, before I pulled away and said goodnight. But before I left, I inclined my head to the living room where Stefan was still sitting, and winked. Elena rolled her eyes and pushed me to the stairs, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

I mouthed a quick 'sorry' to Stefan on the way up, for interrupting his time with my sister. He gave me a warm smile back and I escaped up the stairs to my room, quickly changing into my pajamas.

Today was a very good day.

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**Okay, so now you know why Carmen and Elena have such a strained sister-relationship. But I do really want Cassie as Carmen to try to mend that relationship, as it'll help with scenes later on.**

**I'm hoping that she doesn't appear to be too much of a bitch. She can be really judgmental towards Bonnie when they're at school, but there is a reason for that. I also want Carmen to start being friends with Caroline and Bonnie so she can hang out with them more, though it won't be all the time.**

**Which leads me to a question for you: Do you like her friendship with Dana and the others? Except for Dana and Chad, I made the other characters up... kind of. I actually saw a cute Asian guy as an extra during the back to school party scene, and decided to make him Ben.**

**Also, I have no idea if anyone besides Australians actually call goon sacks 'goon sacks', but I do have a feeling that the slang isn't international.**

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**Review Replies:**

**Aiphira: **_Those were some good guesses! Actually, I think Carmen might be good friends with Andie as they both have such outgoing personalities. We'll just have to wait and see... ;) And I'm so glad you did! No, I won't be focusing too much on the main events until season 2, which like Carmen, is when I think it starts getting good. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!_

**CherryBlossoms016: **_You guessed correctly! And yes, I'm very open to suggestions for who she ends up with. I myself am stuck on choosing either Elijah or Klaus for her, so suggestions are very welcome._

**Allie: **_Thank you so much! And I'm glad you did :) I love reading this type of TVD fic, but have never read one where the OC was a big fan of the show, so I was inspired! It's so lovely for someone to have the same opinions of the show as myself, though I must say I loooove Klaroline ;) And trust me, I will! I already have 10 chapters already written up and waiting to be posted... I'm a bit ahead of myself I think!_

**ManonVarendaz: **_I'm so glad you do! I was very nervous to post this, but the feedback I've gotten has made me so happy and confident in my writing. Thank you so much for your review! And I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)_

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**Thank you again to all that reviewed, you guys made my morning!**


	4. Harbinger of Evil

**I have to stop posting chapters so quickly… already 4 within a day!**

**But getting reviews makes me want to post sooner, so here we are. Review replies at the end of the chapter :)**

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**Chapter 4: Harbinger of Evil**

Thanks to all the water I'd consumed last night, this morning I woke up hangover-free. But that didn't mean I was glad to be awake. Mornings _sucked_. So I unwillingly got up and stumbled to the bathroom for a shower, returning to my room after to find what to wear to school.

It was probably the warmest day I'd been here so far. I would've liked to have worn a skirt, but seeing as there weren't any and because I refused to consider the shorts, I settled on a pair of plain skinny jeans instead. I needed to be girly though, so I searched through the closet until I found a pink floral blouse and white flats. I loosely braided my hair and slid on dangling silver earrings.

Now all I needed was coffee.

Jenna came trotting down the stairs in a deep purple dress, while another white one was in her arms. "Carmen, help! Should I stay in the purple dress, or wear the white one instead?"

"Purple," I said without a thought, remembering this scene. She was going to talk to Mr Tanner about Jeremy's grades. "And wear your hair up, as well. But you should ask Elena for a second opinion."

"Good idea." She flashed me a thankful smile before running back up the stairs.

A few minutes later, Elena came down, and I poured her a cup of coffee. I really wanted to do this relationship-mending thing right.

"Good morning," I smiled at her, then sipped up the last of my coffee. Elena grinned.

"You're in a good mood this morning."

I shrugged and grinned back. "So are you. And anyway, I've got no hangover and have had my first coffee." I began pouring myself another cup.

Elena shook her head and laughed. "Well, I have a lot to be happy about. But do you know where Jeremy is? He made up some excuse to Jenna about finishing his woodshop birdhouse."

"Does our school even have woodshop? I've got a feeling that he's at the hospital, checking up on Vicki." At Elena's questioning glance, I elaborated. "I was gone the whole summer but even _I_ could see that those two have something between them... But it didn't hurt that I heard them talking at the Grill the other day."

"Oh, um, wow..." Elena looked shocked, but so was I. Could she really have been so blind to her brother's feelings? All she saw was his substance abuse.

"Well, we should get to school soon. I'm driving." I finished my second coffee quickly and ran upstairs for my bag.

I headed outside with Elena, and soon learned that the black SUV I knew was hers from the show was apparently mine as well. She hadn't driven since the accident, and seeing as I was supposedly with John all summer, the car had sat untouched in the garage for four months.

The drive to school was quick, and unlike Bonnie, I didn't hit any birds on the way. But I wish I'd driven slower, seeing as history was first period like usual.

It wasn't until Mr Tanner was droning on and on that I realized tomorrow night was the night of the comet. I remembered when I first watched this episode, I had so desperately wished I could be there in Mystic Falls and see it for myself. And now I was here, and I would get to see it.

Who says dreams don't come true?

When lunch rolled round, Dana and I left for the spot outside on the grass where we usually sat. Chad and Ben were off with some of their guy friends, so it was just the four of us girls lying back and soaking up the sunshine.

"Do any of you know what you're wearing tomorrow night?" Jane suddenly asked, raising herself up on her elbows. "This comet thing is a huge event. I mean, it's once in a lifetime, so it's going to be extremely memorable. And I want an outfit to signify just how memorable it is. But I've got nothing."

Karen sat up as well, and grinned. "Why don't we go shopping after school? Some retail therapy is just what we need, especially after the craziness last night."

"I'm in," Jane replied, smiling brightly and brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Me too," Dana said. She didn't sit up, but turned her head to the side and grinned at me. "How about you, Carm? We all haven't gone shopping together since last spring."

The Gilbert's were a founding family, and though not as rich as the Lockwoods or the Salvatores, they still had a fair bit of money. "As long as you let me stop at home to get some money first. It's about time I got some girly clothes." I grinned happily.

* * *

Seeing as it was Karen's idea for a shopping trip, she was the one who drove us to the mall in the next town. When I'd gotten home after school for money, Jenna was trying and failing to give her drug talk to Jeremy, and I was glad I didn't have to be involved in that.

The mall was average-sized, and so incredibly cliché for America. In Australia, almost every shopping center I'd been to was different, so this was like stepping into every girly teen movie ever.

We jumped from store to store, trying on multiple items of clothing at every one. I was usually a picky shopper, seeing as lots of different styles didn't suit my old body, especially dresses. But this new body was so kind to me, and I now looked pretty much good in everything. Not to mention that the color red now suited my complexion.

We shopped for a few hours, stopping only once for a late lunch/early dinner at the food court. By the end of it, I had six bags of clothing and shoes and some fresh phone credit, all the money that Jenna had given me well spent. Apparently in my parents' will they had left Elena, Jeremy and I a monthly allowance to spend. But Jenna would only give us the money if we asked for it, and I'm glad.

If I was given my monthly allowance all at once, then I'd spend it all at once.

* * *

We arrived back in Mystic Falls at sundown, and after much discussion as to whether or not we'd go to the Grill, we decided on just going straight home. I arrived to see Elena making food in the kitchen.

"He's on the rebound and has raging family issues." She gossiped about Stefan, clearly upset but hiding it with annoyance. She kept squirting her food with what looked like thick soy sauce.

Jenna walked over with an apple and leaned beside her on the counter. "Well at least it's an ex-girlfriend. Wait till you date a guy with mommy issues. Or cheating issues. Or amphetamine issues."

"You both really know how to pick 'em." I laughed, and walked over to see what Elena was making. Turns out the soy sauce was actually chocolate syrup, and she was pouring it over ice-cream. "Aren't you supposed to drown your sorrows in ice-cream after you've broken up? Not before you've even gotten together."

Elena rolled her eyes, and I heard the front door open and close.

"Jeremy," Jenna said sternly, gaining my brother's attention for second. He chose to ignore her and started up the stairs. Jenna was furious, and marched after him. "Jeremy, where were you?"

"More stoner stories? Look, Jenna, I get it. You were cool once. And that's cool." He was so stoned, his words coming out slow and almost monotone.

But Jenna was not putting up with any of his shit. "Oh, no, no, no." She threw her apple at his back, and I stifled my laugh.

"Ow." Jeremy turned around and held his hands out in disbelief. "Why? Why did you do that?"

"Listen up. Quit ditching class, or you're grounded. No discussion."

Jeremy, being the stoned jerk he was, just smiled at our aunt. "Parental authority. I like it." He put his thumbs up. "Sleep tight."

"You won't like it when you're banned from going anywhere but school!" I shouted up at him in irritation. I didn't have anything against stoners, but I did have a lot against little fifteen-year-old pricks. Why can't everyone just get along?

Elena giggled at me, then continued to eat her ice-cream. I contemplated whether I should make myself something to eat, but I was still full from the food at the mall, and decided to just head to my room.

I unloaded all of the dresses and shoes I'd bought into the closet, then removing the several pairs of shorts from the bottom drawer, I replaced them with my new skirts. But now I had to find a place to put the shorts...

From where I was sitting on the floor, I noticed that there were a few storage boxes underneath my bed. I hadn't noticed them before, and immediately went to investigate. The first box I inspected was full of fashion and music magazines, neither of which were sold in Australia. I gave a squeal of delight before moving on to the next box.

It was almost empty, the only two items being a laptop and its charger. Thinking quick, I removed them from the box and shoved the shorts in instead, placing the box back where it came.

There was one last box, smaller than the rest. I opened it and found at least twenty bottles of nail polish, in almost every color. There was even a bottle of polish remover. Just in time, too. The red paint on nails I'd woken up with a few days ago was now horribly chipped, and desperately needed some tending to. I wasn't good at keeping nail polish on for more than two days, but at least I hadn't broken any nails. Yet.

I looked between the nail polish and the laptop, deciding which one would better occupy my time before bed. The polish won.

* * *

The next afternoon I was sitting with my friends in the town square, keenly awaiting to see the comet just after dusk. I was wearing a thick, gray knit dress that I'd bought yesterday, and a pair of some black boots I found in my closet.

Karen and Ben took turns taking photos of us all, and of everyone around us as well. It seemed like most of the town was here, from children getting their faces painted, to people twirling around in hula-hoops.

I saw Elena and Bonnie cross the road from the Grill to the park, failing to hand out fliers as they went. I was going to go say hi to them, when my phone buzzed with a text.

Damon: _Nice sweater dress, very modern. How do you know what I am?_

Well damn, I hadn't thought through my actions enough to realize that I would eventually be asked this question. I really needed an excuse, and pronto.

Me: _I'll tell you one day. Just remember, I'm not your enemy._

Damon: _Whatever, I'll find out soon enough. But if you tell anyone, I'll kill you._

Me: _Oh, I don't doubt that._

Damon: _I just saw your blonde friend from the coffee shop. Does she always walk like she's on a mission?_

I couldn't hold back my laugh, and thumbed in a reply.

Me: _Only when she really wants something. AKA, you._

Damon: _Who wouldn't want me?_

Rolling my eyes, I decided not to reply to that. I could say that I didn't want him, but there _had_ been a time where I would've done anything to be with Damon in real life. But not anymore.

When I focused back in on what was going on around me, I saw Dana grinning from ear to ear.

"Who was texting you to make you laugh like that?" She whispered to me conspiratorially, like this was all some big secret nobody could know about.

I laughed. "This guy I met after the party the other night. I'm trying to set him up with Caroline."

Dana raised her eyebrows in doubt. "Well you looked pretty happy to be talking to him. Why don't _you_ go for him?"

"Because I already friend-zoned him," I replied, smirking evilly. "He's Stefan's older brother, and it would be less weird for Elena's friend to go out with her soon-to-be boyfriend's brother, than it is for her _twin_."

"Oh, fine." Dana looked crestfallen for a moment, and I wondered if she'd tried to set me up with guys in the past, only for me to reject them. She turned to the rest of our friends. "The sun's gonna go down soon. We should go find where they're handing out those candles."

Everyone agreed, so we got up and wandered around. It took us about five minutes to find the candles, and we quickly lit them. Night was just falling, so we went and found a vacant spot to sit and watch the historic event.

And there it was.

The comet was beautiful, moving at what seemed like a snail-pace across the sky, just below the crescent moon. I stared in awe, and before I forgot, snapped a few photos of it on my phone. The camera quality wasn't the best, but the image was clear enough for me to be happy with it.

"Amazing..." I breathed, completely dumbstruck by the beauty. I'd never even seen a shooting star before, let alone a comet that only appeared over a fictional town every 145 years.

When we'd all seen enough, Chad suggested we head to the Grill for dinner. It seemed like everybody else had that idea, but we managed to find a table that fit all six of us. I was famished, not having eaten since lunch at school. A large serve of fries was ordered for the table, while I got myself a burger and vanilla coke.

While eating, I overheard Jeremy ask Elena and her friends where Vicki was, and it ended up turning into a huge argument. The basic gist of it was: OMG Jeremy ur deelin drugs? Vicki dont lyk u. Den y did she hav sex wit me? OMG she had sex wit u? Shut up need 2 find mi sista.

They finally got over their petty drama and decided to split up and find Vicki, which would be a slightly more serious petty drama if it weren't for the fact that she only got out of hospital today. Now it was real drama, and they didn't even know the full extent of it.

I had the sudden urge to let Stefan and Damon know just how much _I_ know about them, and I couldn't help but act on it… even though it just might land me into deep shit. I quickly ate the last few bites of my burger, threw back the rest of my drink, and stuffed a few fries in my mouth for good measure.

"Family drama," I told my friends after I swallowed the food. I picked up a few more fries. "Gotta go check it out. Be back in five."

I had to wait a minute or two for a waiter to go serve a table before I ran into the staff-only area and found what I was needing: a door that led to stairs, which led to the roof of the building. I sprinted up them and burst through the door at the top in time to see Damon standing on the edge of the building, and pushing Vicki down towards Stefan.

"Relax," he said casually, jumping down from the edge. He saw me standing there. "Hey cutie, here to join the party?"

I nodded, and Stefan glanced at me quickly, so I just gave him a little smile and wave. He didn't looked happy.

"Carmen, what are you doing up here?" He shifted his eyes between me, Vicki and Damon. "I just found her and was about to take her down."

I rolled my eyes at the same time Damon waved Stefan's worry away. "It's fine, brother. Apparently she already knows about us. Or she knew about me... But I guess she knows about you now, too."

"Oh, I've known about both of you for a long while now." I smirked. Damon looked at me suspiciously.

Vicki was still on the ground crying, and she crawled to Stefan. "What's happening?"

"I don't need her to be dead," Damon shrugged as she continued sobbing. "But you might." He paused for a moment, before turning his gaze on Vicki. "What attacked you the other night?"

The drugged up and terrified girl turned to look at him. "I don't know. An animal."

"Are you sure about that?" Damon leaned down with his hands on his knees, as he stared at her intensely. He was compelling her. "Think. Think about it. Think really hard. What attacked you?"

Vicki glanced away from him and was obviously deep in thought, though she looked more spaced-out than anything. Finally, she looked back to Damon and flinched. "Vampire."

"Who did this to you?" He demanded, his tone scolding.

"You did!" Vicki spat back, now sounding angrier than she did scared.

"Wrong!" Damon cried.

Stefan was growing more and more worried by the second. "Don't."

"Stefan." Damon finished, almost hissing the name. He pulled Vicki up by her arm and spun her around so she faced him. He held her face and began the compulsion again. "Stefan Salvatore did this to you."

Vicki repeated his words in an emotionless whisper. It was kind of freaky to watch all of this unfold, but kind of cool too.

"He's a vampire," Damon went on. "A vicious, murderous monster."

Stefan shook his head slowly and tried to stay calm. "Please, Damon. Please don't do this."

Damon let Vicki go and turned to his brother. "You couldn't fix it before. I don't know what you're gonna do now."

As soon as Stefan realized that Damon was going to rip Vicki's neck bandage off and expose her wound, he turned to me urgently. "Carmen, you have to leave. It's not safe for you here."

I cocked my head to the side and watched him curiously. Even with the knowledge that I knew what he was, Stefan was still willing to protect me. He was such a goody-two-shoes. "Don't worry, Stef. Damon and I are friends, _he_ won't hurt me."

Or at least, I _hoped_ he wouldn't hurt me. Damon was unpredictable at the best of times.

Damon threw the bleeding Vicki into Stefan's arms, and I watched as the vege-vamp's eyes grew dark and veiny. "I wasn't talking about Damon."

"I know."

Damon grinned at me, but it fell when he looked back at his little brother. "Your choice of lifestyle," he threw the bandage at Stefan, "has made you weak. Couple of vampire parlor tricks is nothing compared to the power that you could have. That you now need. But you can change that. Human blood gives you that."

Stefan clenched his jaw, before roughly throwing Vicki to the side. "No." It was harsh of him... but for her it was either get tossed aside, or get eaten. He grunted with the effort to withhold his bloodlust.

"You have two choices." Damon reasoned, leaning down to get in Stefan's face better. "You can feed and make her forget... or you can let her run screaming 'Vampire!' through the town square."

"That's what this is about?" Stefan groaned out, his voice croaky. "You wanna expose me?"

Damon looked even more pissed off now. "No, I want you to remember who you are."

"Why? So, what? So I'll feed? So I'll kill?" He slowly stood up and confronted Damon. "So I'll remember what it's like to be brothers again? You know what? Let her go. Let her tell everyone that _vampires_ have returned to Mystic Falls. Let them chain me up. And let them drive a stake through my heart. Because at least I'll be free of you."

"And I thought the Gilbert family issues were bad enough." I stated drily, and the two brothers looked my way. I shrugged. "Must be a founders thing."

Damon chuckled, then looked down to where Vicki lay on the ground. He strolled over to her. "Wow. Come here, sweetheart."

"No," Vicki sobbed. She glanced to me with pleading eyes.

I smiled warmly at her. "If there's ever a time to trust Damon, it's right now."

"That's right, it's okay." Damon cooed to her. He stared at Stefan as he began whispering in Vicki's ear. She slowly stopped sobbing and grew relaxed, looking around as if she was wondering how she got on the roof. Damon stopped whispering and sat back, smiling warmly at her like I had. He stood up and backed away.

"What happened?" Vicki asked, looking between us. "Where am I?"

"You're on the roof of the Grill." I explained, smiling lightly. "We came up here to look for you."

She nodded, before reaching a hand up to her neck. "I ripped my stitches open. Ugh."

"You okay?" Stefan asked her, still unsure as to whether Damon really compelled her to forget or not.

"I took some pills, man." Vicki replied, getting herself up and laughing lightly, almost bashfully. "I'm good." She wandered passed me to the stairs, shooting me a grateful smile on her way.

"It's good to be home." Damon commented, his voice now full of cheer. "Think I might stay a while. This town could use a bit of a wakeup call, don't you think?"

Stefan just stared at him with hatred. "What are you up to, Damon?"

"That's for me to know and for you to dot, dot, dot." He smiled at both of us and winked. "Give Elena my best. And Carmen? I think I might just pay a certain blonde a visit tonight."

After he disappeared, Stefan turned to me. I had a feeling I knew what he was going to say, so I spoke before he could. "I know what I'm doing, Stefan. Damon is dangerous, yes, but he's also my friend. Just the way I want it to be."

"You're only human, and Damon has no regard for human life. He doesn't have friends." Stefan shook his head sadly. "Is there any way I can change your mind?"

I smirked. "I'm safer being friends with Damon than I am being his enemy. And you better believe me when I say that there will be even more dangerous vampires in Mystic Falls within the next year. And I plan to befriend most of _them_ as well."

I turned my back on Stefan's shocked face and ran down the stairs to the main part of the Grill. There were far less people than when I left, and only Dana and Chad were sitting at the table now.

"What took you so long?" Chad asked, worry on his and Dana's face.

I gave a weak smile. "Elena and Jeremy had a fight, then I found out Vicki was missing. We've found her now, though." I inclined my head over to where Matt was fixing his sister's bandage. "She took some pills and blacked out until Stefan and I found her on the roof. But she should be all good. Or, as good as she can be."

"I actually feel really sorry for her..." Dana muttered, her eyebrows furrowed with concern. "I mean, her mum just abandons her and Matt, and now all they have are each other. It's no wonder she went to drugs for comfort, though I wish she could find a better way to feel good."

I nodded. "Yeah, I agree. It's the same with Jeremy. We have Jenna with us now, but it's not the same as having your parents there. He turned to drugs because he couldn't cope, just like I turned to Uncle John for an escape. But I don't think it's forever. I think in the next month or so he'll just wake up, and realize that there's more to life than a quick hit to avoid reality."

"Well, you can only hope." Chad shrugged, and I laughed at him.

"Oh, I don't need to hope. I _know_."

We moved our conversation back to the comet, recapping how amazing it was. I enjoyed the drama-less banter, feeling the tension in my shoulders lift away. I hadn't even noticed it until it was gone.

That's when I realized just how scared I was. I could call Damon my friend all I wanted, but that currently meant nothing to him. I was playing with fire. I was one wrong word or action away from getting my neck snapped or drained of blood. It was freaky. I need to stop dwelling on it. Time to be happy again.

* * *

When I arrived home a little while later, Elena was just leaving.

"Tell Stefan I said hey."

She glanced at me, confused. "How did you know I was going to see Stefan?"

"Because," I winked at her. "You do _not_ look that determined to see any of your usual friends."

Elena rolled her eyes and said goodbye, before running to the car. Wow, she was actually driving. I entered the house and saw Jenna carrying a glass bong and pipe to the bin.

She glanced up, worry turning to relief when she saw it was just me. "I'm not going crazy with authority, I swear."

"It was bound to happen one day." I grinned at my aunt, and she returned it, dumping Jeremy's stuff in the bin with all the other trash. "And he'll forgive you... one day."

"Oh, go to bed!" She smiled evilly. "Or I'll throw an apple at you as well."

I shook my head and laughed. Living with Jenna was definitely more fun than I thought it'd be.

And despite the drama, living in Mystic Falls in general was more fun than anyone could think it would be.

* * *

**Review Replies:**

**Guest: **_I'm really glad you liked that! I hadn't even thought of Carmen doing that, but it fits in well with her personality and I just had to add it. I'm so happy you like them, I'm not usually a fan of too many OCs in one story, but I had to give Carmen some friends that weren't in the show. Thank you for your suggestion! I'll have to do a tally of which Original everyone picks the most at this rate. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too :)_

**Aiphira: **_Thank you so much, I'm over the moon that you did! I thought about how Damon would usually react, probably by pinning her to a wall by her neck and demanding answers. But I also knew I couldn't have him do that in a coffee shop where there would be witnesses. Hopefully in this chapter you see a tiny bit more of his distrusting side, but I tried to keep him cocky more than anything. From the way I see it, as long as Carmen doesn't anger Damon, he won't hurt her. And he'll only confront her after he's had enough of her evading._

_I already plan on doing that! :) It's Cassie's nature to see the good in people and whatnot, so even though she doesn't like Elena's character, she thinks that while she's Carmen, she can change her. But it's Elena, so that's not likely to happen, and Carmen will go back to hating her after a while._

_I'm so happy you like her friends as well, as they were one of my main concerns. But it seems like everyone is receiving them well enough. And Klaus seems to be the most desired endgame so far… so we'll see ;)_

**Allie: **_Neither do I! I'm not really sure if Carmen will succeed in changing Elena for good, and I do intend for Carmen to start hating her again. I'm glad you did! I sometimes wish I was as forgiving as Carmen. I love season 1 Damon too, he's so dangerous and sexy! And I see what you mean, as much as I want Klaroline in the show, I can't read any fics about them. I love OC fics the most. And that's fine, I host lots of foreign exchange students so I don't even realize if there are mistakes! Thank you for reviewing, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

**xxDreamWalkerxx: **_Neither can I! I hope you like her meeting with Elijah when I get that far into the show... it's going to be a little different than most fics ;) Thank you for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!_

* * *

**Thank you to all who have reviewed, favorited and followed. Even just those who've viewed this story – thank you! It makes me feel all warm and giddy when I see that people have taken the time out of their day to read my story.**

**I only have 10 chapters written up for this story so far, so I'm going to slow down my posting. My friend is currently borrowing my season 1 dvd, and I won't finish writing season 1 until about chapter 15. Which means, once I post all 10 chapters, if my friend hasn't finished with the dvd then there'll be a huge wait until the next chapter.**

**But in the meantime, I've put up the first chapter of an Elijah/OC story called Doppelganger Blues, which starts during season 2 (so when I can no longer update this fic, I'll post more on the other one until I have my season 1 dvd back).**

**I hope you all understand! :)**


	5. Football Sucks

**I hope you're all ready for a longest chapter yet. I'm trying to fit as much of an episode into one chapter as I can, without doing too many time skips. I'll also be skipping several episodes within season 1, only because I'm in a hurry to get to season 2.**

**I would've skipped this season entirely, except the reason Cassie woke up as Carmen in episode 1 is important for something you'll learn later on. Now, on with the story!**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Football Sucks**

I got a lift with Bonnie and Elena to school the next day, feeling more cheerful than ever. I'd been in Mystic Falls, and this body, almost a week now, and I wasn't feeling home-sick at all. I mean, even though the real me – _Cassie_ – had no school or anything, there was still so much pressure, especially from my mom and dad.

_'Get a job, get you own car, move out of home, and don't go out with your friends too much...'_

Being Carmen was so much easier. No need to get a job because the family was loaded, school was easy, I owned a car, and as far as I knew, nobody _wanted_ me to move out.

Not saying I was lazy, though. I did try hard when I was Cassie, but now I felt like I could relive my last few teen years all over again as Carmen, seeing as my own were spoiled by my parents and their strict ways. I'd drank like a fish when I had the chance, but I was rarely allowed to be social. Which is the absolute worst when you're an extrovert. But in Mystic Falls, everything was the opposite.

And the whole supernatural element of this world was a pleasant bonus.

I was the first out of the car when Bonnie parked, and I realized something weird. When she'd taken me to school and whatnot all the other times, her car had been dark blue. Now it was white. Was this some sort of show inconsistency that followed into the real-life version of the world? Or was I thinking to far into it?

I shook my head too clear myself of the confusing thoughts. She was probably just driving her dad's car for whatever reason. I tuned in to what Bonnie was saying, and vaguely heard something about butts. Did I hear correctly?

"Listen," she continued, addressing Elena. "I'm not saying don't date the guy, I'm just saying take it slow."

Elena raised her eyebrows and pointed at her best friend. "You are the one who said go for it."

"Now, I'm saying take it slow."

They began walking, Elena pissed off and Bonnie trying to avoid explaining herself. I rolled my eyes and let them go ahead of me. It wasn't like I was in a big rush to get in to school anyway.

I spotted Dana and Jane sitting at a table, so I made my way over to them, grinning widely. I greeted my friends with big hugs and took a seat beside them.

"Okay, so it's not an official tryout or anything..." Dana looked to me excitedly, brushing her dark hair from her face. "But any girls are welcome to attend cheer practice today, and if they show enough talent, then Caroline will consider them for the team."

Cheerleading, wow. I loved dancing, but cheering just wasn't my thing. "I don't know, Dana. Wasn't there a cheer-camp over the summer while I was with Uncle John? I so do _not_ have what it takes."

"Yes, you do!" Dana rolled her eyes, before grabbing my hands earnestly. "Come on, Carm. You're super fit and love being active. And you're gorgeous too, which is basically a cheerleader prerequisite. What do you say?"

"Ugh, fine. But only for you!" I laughed as Dana pulled me into a tight hug.

Over her shoulder I saw Stefan spin around faster than any human could, and catch a ball that I knew Tyler threw. The vampire threw it back, almost knocking the future werewolf to the ground.

That, plus the mention of cheerleading tryouts, made me realize something horrible: this was the football episode. Elena would quit cheerleading, Stefan would fight Tanner then join the football team, Elena would force Bonnie to get along with Stefan via a dinner that Damon and Caroline crash, Jeremy and Tyler fight at the football game, then Damon kills Tanner.

This episode was not my cup of tea, and unfortunately for real life, there was no fast-forward button. I almost sighed happily at the sound of the school bell ringing. The sooner I get today and tomorrow over with, the better.

And luckily for me, it was cheer practice before I knew it. Tanner and Stefan had had their little argument, which admittedly, was much funnier to watch when you were actually there, and the rest of my classes flew by. When the bell for the end of school rung, I had quickly changed into the tiny black shorts and tank top I'd worn for gym, then headed outside.

Dana showed me some moves they used in their routine, and it actually wasn't hard. I'd been a dancer when I was younger, so it was easy for me to learn the moves in no time at all.

We were practicing on the grass beside the makeshift gravel road when a vintage blue convertible pulled up near us. Inside was Damon and Caroline, and I couldn't help the grin that spread over my face. They kissed, and then Caroline hopped out. There was a conspicuous silk scarf tied around her neck, and I let out a small giggle.

Dana raised an eyebrow at me. "What's got you so amused?"

"That's just Caroline with Damon," I shrugged. "You know, the guy I set her up with."

"Oh, Stefan's brother," my friend smirked at me. "Look at you, being a successful little cupid. You should start an online dating service."

While Caroline pranced over to Elena and Bonnie, Damon turned to me. "Hey bestie, thanks for setting me up with Caroline. She's _very_ willing to get freaky." He winked before swinging the car around and driving off.

I turned to Dana and wiggled my eyebrows at her suggestively, before paying attention to Caroline.

"Sorry I'm late, girls. I, uh, was busy." The chirpy blonde exclaimed. Yes, _very_ busy indeed. "Alright. Let's start with the double-pike herkie hurlder. What do you say?"

"I say, what the fuck is a 'herkie hurdler'?" I turned to my friend in horror. "Did she make that up, or is that actually a thing? Because it really sounds like gibberish."

Dana giggled. "Trust me, it exists. Now watch me and you'll be good."

I wasn't good, maybe okay, but definitely not good. Learning the moves that were basically just dancing around was easy, but the weird jumps and flips and twists were absolute bullshit. These girls put their bodies through this much strain, just to cheer on two groups of guys basically fighting over a ball? Complete insanity, if you ask me.

At least I was doing better than Elena, who stumbled every so often, and couldn't keep up. So when Caroline said, "Elena, sweetie, why don't you just observe today? Okay?" It took all of my concentration to not burst out laughing. Caroline's bitchiness was handy for amusement every now and again.

By the end of practice, I hadn't made the team. Dana was upset, but I couldn't be happier. Even with a body that had as much energy as my own now did, it wasn't enough. Plus, I'd take a walk out in nature over cheering for sweaty meatheads anyday.

* * *

I got a lift home with Dana, and headed straight for the shower. I was sticky with sweat, and did not like it one bit. Yet another bonus of not being a cheerleader was not needing multiple showers a day. After I'd gotten cleaned and dressed, Elena came to my room.

"Hey, I was wondering if you have plans with your friends tonight?" I shook my head so she continued. "Well, Bonnie doesn't really like Stefan, so I invited them both over to dinner and was wondering if you'd like to join us? It'll just be us four."

I grinned. The dinner was probably the only part of the episode I managed to enjoy. "Sure. I think Stefan's a great guy, so I'd be happy to get him on Bonnie's good side."

"Thank you!" Elena gave me a quick hug and left to get ready. I was actually hoping she'd ask me to join them for dinner, so I'd put on casual clothes instead of my pajamas. All I had to do was brush my damp hair and I'd be done.

By the time Bonnie came over, night had already fallen. The three of us were in the kitchen setting everything up, and Bonnie was talking about how she's a psychic.

"You explain it. Last night, I'm watching 9-0. Commercial break comes on and I'm like, 'I bet it's that phone commercial'. And so it is. It's the guy and the girl with the bench, he flies to Paris and he flies back. They take a picture."

That description sounded so weird when out of context. Maybe I'd actually have to watch some TV and hope it came on, just so I could understand what the hell Bonnie was going on about.

"Oh, come on." Elena scoffed. "That commercial's on a constant loop."

"Fine." Bonnie was annoyed that her best friend didn't believe her, even though I did. "Well, how about this? Today, I'm obsessed with numbers. Three numbers. I keep seeing eight, fourteen, and twenty-two. How weird is that?"

Before Elena could say anything, I cut in with a hand on Bonnie's arm. "When you say you saw those numbers, what do you mean exactly? Like, were they floating around in your head?"

"I keep drawing them." Bonnie explained with a shrug. "Like today in all my classes, I kept scribbling the numbers out, pretty much without realizing it."

I'd always wondered that, but it made more sense than floating images in her head. I nodded and pretended to be considering what she said.

Elena was staring intensely at Bonnie. "Maybe we should play the lottery." I hit her arm and she laughed, but Bonnie cracked a grin so I wasn't too angry at her disbelief. "Have you talked to your grams?"

Bonnie absently scraped food from a foil tin into a nice bowl. "She's just gonna say I'm a witch. I don't wanna be a witch, do you?"

"I don't wanna be a witch." Elena grimaced.

"Hey Bonnie, if you find a way to give me your powers, I'll be a witch instead." I winked at the girl. "I think it'd be badass."

Seriously, why couldn't I have woken up in the body of a witch? Being Carmen was amazing, but she was only human. Being a vampire or a witch would be so much cooler. But not a werewolf, that would just suck. You know, being cursed and all.

"I'll ask Grams," Bonnie laughed, looking down at the foil container she held. "And putting it in a nice bowl isn't fooling anybody."

"But Elena can't cook, so this was the best option we had."

My twin rolled her eyes. "Okay, serving spoons. Where are the serving spoons?" She spun around, looking at each cupboard as if the sight of them would make her remember.

Bonnie pointed over to the left of Elena, who was now at the sink. "Middle drawer on your left." She shrugged. Elena went over and opened the drawer, pulling out two wooden serving spoons.

"Okay, you've been in this kitchen a thousand times." She shook her head, brushing off Bonnie's lucky guess.

"Yeah, that's it." Bonnie said dejectedly, when the doorbell rang.

I grinned at Elena, trying to break the tension. "Mr Broody is here, you better get that."

Elena nodded and smiled back, turning to Bonnie. "Don't be nervous. Just be your normal, loving self." She bounced away while Bonnie sighed.

"Birthday candles." She mumbled, opening a drawer in front of her. I peeked at it to see a small packet of birthday candles sitting on a row of barbeque lighters.

I smiled at her. "Don't worry, I _know_ Elena will believe you one day. But most people are just closed off to anything supernatural."

"I guess you're right." Bonnie smiled gratefully at me, and I helped her move the bowls of food to the dining table while Elena brought Stefan inside. We all sat down, Stefan at the head of the table, me beside Elena on one side, and Bonnie opposite us.

We ate in the most awkward of all awkward silences ever for about five minutes, and I almost considered taking my bowl of pasta up to my room, and blasting one of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers CDs I found on a shelf in there. If it weren't for Elena, I probably would have.

"Did Tanner give you a hard time today?" She asked Stefan, referring to his tryout for the football team.

"Well, he let me on the team, so I must have done something right." He smiled at Elena and chuckled, and she giggled in return.

"Bonnie, you should have seen Stefan today." Elena was happy she could brag about her boyfriend, and went into her story-telling mode. "Tyler threw a ball right at him, and-"

"Yeah, I heard." Bonnie cut her off, looking unimpressed with Elena's attempt to make her like Stefan. I kicked the witch under the table, and she shot me glare. I gladly returned it.

The awkward silence was making a reappearance and I groaned. "Oh, my God. Are we all incapable of making conversation here?" I shoved a huge piece of chicken into my mouth and chewed grumpily. I just wanted Damon to arrive with Caroline _now_, and not have to suffer through everything else.

Elena plastered another smile on her face and fiddled with her cup. "Why don't you tell Stefan about your family?"

Bonnie gave Elena a 'WTF' look before sliding her gaze to Stefan and giving him a tight smile. "Um, divorced. No mum, live with my dad."

"Mm..." Stefan looked as awkward as the atmosphere felt.

I rolled my eyes and said, "I think Elena meant the psychic stuff..." at the same time she said, "No, about the witches." Stefan gave us a curious glance so my sister continued. "Bonnie's family has a lineage of witches. It's really cool." She gave her friend a stern glance.

Bonnie shook her head defiantly. "Cool isn't the word I'd use."

Elena glared at her for not even trying, while Stefan looked curious. "It's certainly interesting. I'm not too versed, but I do know that there's a history of Celtic Druids that migrated here in the 1800s."

"My family came by way of Salem." Bonnie nodded.

"Really?" Stefan asked, looking more intrigued than ever. Surprised, even. "Salem witches?"

Bonnie nodded again. "Yeah." She looked down at her food and stabbed her fork at it.

Stefan turned to Elena with a grin. "I'd say that's pretty cool."

"Really? Why?" Bonnie asked, though it looked like she was trying to make him feel uncomfortable.

"Salem witches are heroic examples of individualism and nonconformity."

"So _that's_ why every teenage girl in the year 2014 think she's a witch..." I muttered to myself. I had nothing against girls who were witches as part of their spirituality, like Pagans and Wiccans, but the ones who did it for fashion and to be 'different' really pissed me off.

Bonnie smiled, genuinely pleased. "Yeah, they are."

We all smiled, glad that Bonnie was finally starting to warm up to Stefan, when the doorbell rang again. I grinned cheerfully.

"I wonder who that could be." Elena went to get up, but I beat her to it.

"No, stay here, I'll get it." I almost skipped to the door with anticipation, opening it to reveal the couple I'd been waiting for.

"Surprise!" Caroline, in a pretty green dress and matching scarf to cover her bite marks, was holding a cake. "Bonnie said you were doing dinner, so we brought desert."

Damon smirked from behind her. "Hope you don't mind."

"Oh, thank you Caroline, that's so sweet! And of course I don't mind, Damon." I opened the door wider for them. I knew Damon hadn't been invited in and winked at him playfully after Caroline strolled in and handed me the cake.

Stefan came over, pissed that his older brother was crashing the super boring dinner. Elena appeared as well, so I gave her the cake and let Caroline talk her ear off instead of mine. I faced the Salvatore brothers to join their conversation.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan demanded in a whisper.

Damon smirked back. "Waiting for either Carmen or Elena to invite me in," he replied loud enough for the others to hear.

Elena turned to him and smiled. "Oh, yeah, you can-"

"No, no, no." Stefan cut her off urgently. Asshole. "He can't, um... He can't stay. Can you Damon?"

The brothers stared at each other intensely while Caroline rolled her eyes. "Get in here."

Stefan glanced back at her. "We're just finishing up."

"It's fine, Stefan, stop being such a prick." I grinned at Damon. "Get your ass in here."

Damon smirked, glancing between me and Stefan before he strolled into the house and looked around. "You have a beautiful home, girls."

"Thank you." Elena replied, while I just shrugged.

We all moved into the lounge-room to relax as we ate the cake that Caroline brought. She was practically on Damon's lap, and he insisted that I sit close to him on the other lounge seeing as we're friends, though I had a feeling he just wanted to piss Stefan off even more, and it definitely worked. Between staring lovingly at Elena and glaring at Damon, the vege-vamp occasionally shot me worried looks.

And of course, Caroline was oblivious to everything. "I cannot believe that Mr Tanner let you on the team." She gushed to Stefan, smiling almost conspiratorially. "Tyler must be seething. But good for you. Go for it."

"That's what I always tell him. You have to engage." Damon added, almost like he was lecturing his brother. "You can't just sit and wait for life to come. You have to go get it."

Caroline mimicked his serious attitude. "Yeah, Elena wasn't so lucky today. But only because you missed summer camp." She tried to reassure her friend, but in true Caroline stye, she didn't stop. "I don't know how you're gonna learn."

"I'll work with her, she'll get it." Bonnie insisted.

"I guess we can put her in the back." Caroline mused to herself quietly, but loud enough for all to hear. I let out a small giggle at the fact she was seriously contemplating doing that right in front of my sister, who looked majorly pissed off.

Damon picked up on her annoyance. "You know, you don't seem like the cheerleader type, Elena."

She smiled weakly but said nothing, so Caroline answered for her. "It's because her parents died. Yeah, I mean, she's totally just going through a blah phase. She used to be way more fun... And I say that with complete sensitivity."

I wanted to face-palm at the blonde's utter... blondeness. If you looked up the word 'blonde' in the dictionary, there would be a picture of Caroline beside it. Gee-fuckin-wizz, why couldn't she get abused than turned into a vampire already? The amusement wasn't worth the amount of ignorance I had to put up with.

Man, I needed to calm down and stop thinking such bitchy thoughts.

At least Damon had the mind to be nice, even if he didn't mean it sincerely. "Don't worry, Elena, Carmen. I know what it's like to lose both your parents. In fact, Stefan and I have watched almost every single person we've ever cared about die."

"We don't need to get into that right now. Damon." Stefan told his brother, giving him a warning look.

Damon sighed. "Oh, you're right, Stef. I'm sorry. The last thing I wanted to do was bring her up. Ha."

Aaaaaaand the atmosphere in the room got as awkward as dinner had been earlier. I quickly ate my last bite of cake and went to grab everyone's plates, but Elena beat me to it. She left for the kitchen, and Damon was right behind her with an empty cup.

I turned to the others. "Look, there's really no point in me being here and I'm tired as hell. I'll see you all tomorrow."

After a chorus of goodnights, I quickly retreated to my room and got ready for bed. It wasn't late, but I wanted sleep anyway. When I decided to choose which little events from the show I'd decide to be there for, I didn't take into account how _boring_ they might end up being.

In future, I had to be more careful, and avoid more boring plot-fillers with my own activities. Thankfully, Carmen had her own friends, and could get away from the plot easily.

* * *

The next afternoon, I found myself at school for the football game.

For the record, I did not want to be here one bit. But because Dana was a cheerleader she made me promise to go. In fact, she'd even insisted on choosing an outfit for me to wear. So as I walked through the carpark, I was being ogled at by dozens of guys thanks to her.

The team's main color was maroon, so I was now wearing a very short maroon tartan skirt with a maroon tank-top, black boots, and thick black cardigan. Seeing as most girls were in jeans and my legs were bare, I was being objectified as much as the cheerleaders. I wouldn't have usually minded, as long as there was at least one guy to objectify right back.

But I was in Mystic Falls, so the only guys I would consider hotties in season one were the Salvatore's, and I had no lustful interest in them.

How boring.

I don't even know why everyone got to the game so early, all we did was stand around talking and drinking. I spent time chatting to Dana and her cheerleader friends, which wasn't anything special, but fun nonetheless. I didn't remember the other girls' names, but I loved meeting new people anyway.

By the time night had fallen, I'd had a fair few beers. I cheered along with everyone else from Mystic Falls High as they burned a dummy dressed in the opposing team's green and white uniform. The dummy was strapped to a pyre, witch-burning style. It was barbaric, but I loved it. This town had spirit.

Dana had to go somewhere for cheerleader business – which sounded like some sort of gang trouble if you ask me – so I wandered around in my tipsy state. I found some guys standing on the back of a pickup and pouring bourbon into cliché red cups, and decided to try my luck.

"Go Timberwolves!" I shouted cheerfully, pumping my first in the air.

"Yeah! Timberwolves! Whoo!" The guys all sang back to me, clearly pumped for the game. The guy with the bourbon hopped down. "Here, have some."

I took the bottle from him and chugged back a few mouthfuls. It burned, but my stomach held it without complaint. "Thanks, man. You're a life saver." I giggled.

The guy high-fived me after I handed the bottle back, then I went on my merry way. There were so many teenagers drinking and smoking, and all I could think was _How the fuck do the adults not notice this? Do they just turn a blind eye or something?_ But I wasn't complaining, because I was definitely a party girl at heart.

Mystic Falls was my kinda town.

I joined the crowd of people, the cheering so loud it almost hurt my ears. Tanner was on a stage with a microphone, telling us to be quiet, but you could barely hear him over the noise.

He chanted 'wait' loudly several times, until the crowd finally dimmed their noise.

"Let's be honest here. In the past, we used to let the other teams come into _our_ town and roll right over us." The crowd booed. "But that is about to change." The crowd cheered. "We've got some great new talent tonight starting on offense, and I'm gonna tell you right now, it has been a long time since I have seen a kid like this with hands like these. Let's give it up for Stefan Salvatore!"

I groaned, and left the crowd. Of course Stefan made the team better: he was a vampire with supernatural speed, strength and agility. And even as drunk as I was starting to get, it didn't make the fact that I was at a _football game_ any better. I goddamn hated football.

I found Jeremy sitting on the pack of a pickup truck and drinking bourbon, much like the guys from before were. I went over and joined him.

"Pass me the bottle, baby bro." I held out my hand and gave him my best puppy eyes. "Big sis hates football and needs to be _really_ drunk if she has to go through with being here."

One of his friends laughed. "I hear ya, girl. Here, have some tequila."

I grinned, gladly taking the bottle he offered me. I nursed it with motherly care, growing happier with every sip. Or drunker. But happiness and drunkenness were basically the same thing to me. I even chatted with the guy who gave me the bottle, and tried hard not to laugh at everything he said. That guy was high as a kite.

But all too soon, my happy bubble was broken. Tyler, who was with Vicki, began stalking towards the pickup, his eyes set on Jeremy. My brother glared back at the jock and got up.

"Don't look so down." Tyler said condescendingly. "You can have her when I'm done."

I cut in before Jeremy could reply. "What if she's done with you first, asshole?"

"Stay out of this, bitch." Tyler retorted, and I put a hand to my heart in mock horror. Was calling me a bitch the best he could do? He looked back at Jeremy, just as my brother punched him the face.

And punched him well. Damn, I was proud, even though I didn't condone fighting. Tyler was on the ground, but he quickly jumped up and violently shoved Jeremy against the side of the pickup. They struggled for a bit before Tyler threw Jeremy on the ground, and pinning him down, proceeded to punch him in the face.

"Get your fucking hands off my brother!" I yelled, trying to grab at Tyler's shoulders to pull him away, but he just shrugged me off. I may have been fit in this body, but I wasn't as strong as a jock.

Vicki just watched on, looking frantic as she repeated "Tyler! Tyler, stop!" over and over. I never hated Vicki, but this was really all because of her, and she didn't have the common sense to not mess with multiple guys at once.

Stefan came rushing over and grabbed Tyler's arm just as he pulled it back for another punch. "Hey, he's down! Enough!"

Tyler stood and spun around, his arm still held by Stefan, and tried to punch the Salvatore in his gut, but it looked like he was hitting a wall by the way his fist bounced off. Tyler stared at him in shock, his anger fading into something closer to incredulity. Elena came running over just as Jeremy, who was still on the ground, picked up half a broken glass bottle by the neck. I saw him stand up with it, rage burning in his eyes, at the same time Stefan did.

"Jer, no!" I cried as he swung the makeshift weapon in a wide arch at Tyler, who was pushed aside by Stefan. You could literally hear the glass tearing into his flesh, but I knew the wound would close soon enough. Super fast healing was a huge perk for the undead.

Matt grabbed Tyler. "Knock it off."

"Get off me." He spat back, but Matt refused to let him go.

"What the hell, Jeremy?" Elena rushed to our brother, who's face was covered in blood. "Put your head up, you're bleeding."

"I'm fine," he replied, pushing her off.

She didn't look impressed with his actions, so I stepped in. "Lena, go see how Stefan's doing. I saw his hand get cut." And it should be healed by now, but she didn't have to know that yet. "I'll take care of Jer."

She frowned at me, before turning back to Jeremy. "Fine, but we're having a talk later."

She spun around with a flick of her hair and rushed to Stefan. Jeremy stormed away, but I wasn't putting up with his sour attitude. I ran, or rather stumbled, to catch up to him.

"Okay bro, you're drunk, and I'm drunk. And drunk people help each other." He turned to me with a glare, so I returned it mockingly. I couldn't hold the face for long, and broke out in a smug grin. "And even drunk, I'm sure that blood does _not_ feel good drying up there on your face. Come on, let me get you cleaned up."

"Whatever."

I took him to the only bathroom in the school that was open, and chose the disabled toilet. I was pretty sure I'd never seen a disabled person at all in Mystic Falls, so I didn't feel bad about using it. I wet a few paper towels and began wiping away the blood crusted around Jeremy's nose and mouth.

In the end, he only had a busted lip and would get a few bruises here and there, but there was nothing serious like a broken nose or concussion. He thanked me half-heartedly when I finished, before sauntering back to his friends as I finished cleaning up the paper towels we'd used.

I sighed as I left the bathroom, only to find Damon leaning against the wall next to the door.

"Let me guess," he smirked, and pretended to be in thought for a moment. "You just had dirty public toilet sex. And by the sound of that sigh, it was utterly dreadful."

"Ugh." I grimaced at him, but stayed there anyway. "I was cleaning the blood off my _brother's_ face after he got in a fight. Is everything you think of sexual?"

"Hmm... yes." Damon grinned, though it quickly faded. "But I'm starting to rethink our friendship. You set me up with Caroline, but really? She's so annoying, I sometimes want to stake myself. Or kill you."

It was my turn to grin. "No doubt about that. But can't you just compel her to shut up? I mean, all you use her for is sex and blood anyway."

A moment later I was pinned against the wall by my throat, Damon's hand squeezing my neck so hard the air cut off. Fear gripped me as hard as the vampire, and if I wasn't in so much pain and discomfort, I probably would've cried like the scaredy-cat I was.

"Sometimes I wonder how you seem to know so much about me." Damon stared at me intensely, doing that freaky eye thing he always did in the show. It was more than unnerving in real life. "And I will find out."

He let me go, and I gasped in a deep breath. The oxygen flowing back into my lungs was heaven, and though I was still scared, I couldn't help but glare up at the blue-eyed vampire.

"Oh, go find Elena to annoy." I rasped out, my throat still raw. I didn't want to be around Damon any longer, so I simply left him there beside the bathroom.

"Fine, I will!" He shouted to my back.

I didn't want to drink anymore, and I didn't want to talk to anyone. I wasn't upset or anything, I just wanted some alone time. Getting choked by an immortal being barely moments ago didn't really make me feel social. On top of that, I had just cleaned up my fake little brother's bloody face.

The real me only had one sibling – an older sister by several years – and we didn't get along well. This whole sibling-bonding thing was a nice change, but I still wasn't used to it. Even though Jeremy wasn't my real brother, I was starting to care for him as if he was. I couldn't say the same for Elena, but I was definitely finding life with Aunt Jenna great too.

But there was so much stress involved with caring for family. I wasn't used to worrying about somebody so much, let alone tending to their wounds after a fight. It was taking a toll on my mental health, and I definitely needed a me-day soon.

I wandered around aimlessly for what felt like hours to my intoxicated mind, though it really couldn't have been more than fifteen or twenty minutes. It was good to clear my head for a while, but soon there was a commotion. Matt had stumbled upon Tanner's dead body.

Killed by Damon, like so many others.

The police soon arrived, and an ambulance carted Tanner's body away in a black bag. Elena found me, and came trotting over.

"You ready to go home, Carm?"

I nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

Home. There wasn't anywhere I'd rather be right now.

* * *

**Chapter 5 done!**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Though, like Carmen, this episode is not one I particularly like, I had fun writing it anyway.**

* * *

**Review Replies:**

**ManonVarendaz: **_I should hope so ;) Thank you, I'm really glad you're liking it! And whether she ends up with Elijah or not, her relationship with him will be a little different to the others. In a good way!_

**kilera: **_I have a few different plans for her relationships with the Original boys... One of the bigger ones does kinda involve a love triangle, but only so I can have Klaus and Elijah fight over her. And then there's Kol ;) No matter what, I really hope you enjoy the way her relationships play out!_

**Guest: **_I'm so happy that you do! Thank you for reviewing, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)_

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**Thanks again to all the reviewers, followers and favoriters. You guys are the best!**


	6. A Witch in Denial

**Finally, multiple episodes in one chapter! Like I said, I'm really wanting to skip through most of season 1. In my opinion, this fic and Carmen's place in it won't really get interesting until John arrives in episode 18.**

**But this chapter should hopefully satisfy you all for now (not as long as last chapter, but it's better than nothing).**

* * *

**Chapter 6: A Witch in Denial**

When you were actually in Mystic Falls, an event wasn't really exciting without some supernatural creature chucking a tantrum. But in the show, all the fundraiser soirees and whatnot actually looked interesting even without anything that wasn't human.

The Founder's Party, for example, seemed like something I'd enjoy attending. Even when I knew vampires would attend without making a huge scene, I still wanted to go. The closest thing to town events I got back in Australia were friends' bands playing crappy shows at the local high school, or the monthly market that sold expensive so-called 'vintage' and 'retro' clothes. Nothing fancy or fun.

And technically, I was now from a founding family. So I decided to go.

I went downstairs briefly for some coffee, only to escape again as fast as possible. Aunt Jenna was complaining about Logan 'Scum' Fell, while Elena and Jeremy argued over their parents' antiques being displayed at the party. Back in the safety of my room, I sipped my coffee as I examined each of the fancy dresses my closet held.

I remembered from the show that all the girl's wore pretty cocktail dresses, and seeing as the one's I'd recently bought were all fairly casual, those were eliminated. That left the three dresses I'd found on my first day as Carmen. One was a maxi, so that left two.

After taking far too long to decide, I chose the more grown up of the two: black, strapless, and fitted to just above my knees, but not tight. The bust featured electric blue ruffles, but it was overall simple and elegant. Unlike the other dress, which had pink embroidered flowers on the bust, a red tulle skirt, and pink satin sash around the waist.

Happy with my decision, I spent the rest of the day avoiding basically everyone by starting to read one of the few books I found in my new room. _The Picture of Dorian Gray_ was a book I had owned as Cassie, though never read before. Well, anytime time was a good time to start.

It was early in the afternoon when I heard Elena and Bonnie getting ready in the bathroom, so I decided it was time I did too.

I pulled on my dress and found a pair of black Mary Jane heels, slipped them on, and spotted a matching black clutch. I quickly straightened my hair and pulled it back in a clip – Amanda Bynes style – and painted my lips red. It was probably the fastest I'd ever gotten ready in my life.

Stefan was Elena's date to the party, so of course she went with him. Bonnie didn't have a date and neither did I, so we decided to go together despite not being super close like her and Elena were. I asked her a few questions about her witch heritage during the car ride, though she didn't really feel like talking about it.

Bonnie was definitely in denial.

There was a huge line outside the Lockwood mansion, and I mean _huge_. The fact that Mr and Mrs Lockwood wanted to personally greet every single fucking guest was to blame. I remembered that they were eliminating the people who arrived during the day as possible vampire suspects, unbeknownst to them that a piece of spelled lapis lazuli jewelery could work wonders for the undead.

Apparently I wasn't the only one that decided it was the perfect occasion to rock the half-up half-down hairdo, because both Caroline and Elena were doing it, among many other random women. Well, at least I wouldn't stand out. Bonnie went off to third-wheel with my sister and Stefan, which left me all on my own.

Damn, Sheriff Forbes was on duty so it'd be hard to sneakily get drunk until later in the night when it was too dark for her to notice, and I barely knew anyone here to talk to. None of _my_ friends were from founding families, and Damon was still busy playing with Caroline, so it wasn't like I had anyone to keep me entertained. I should've invited Dana as a plus one or something, though I'm sure she's glad I didn't. We'd be bored together.

Seeing as I'd never been to the Lockwood mansion in real life yet, I decided to explore the grounds. It was a truly beautiful property, with stone benches by the lake and lush green grass. I almost wished I'd woken up in the body of Tyler's nonexistent sister, if it weren't for the fact that both Tyler and his dad were both complete dickheads.

I always hated werewolves. And if I were Tyler's sister, than I'd have the gene too. Rage issues or painfully turning into a wolf every full moon? No thank you. I was fine with being a Gilbert. I got a front row seat to all the crazy shit that's going to happen.

I sat on one of the stone benches that was further away from the mansion than the rest, then decided to just lay down. My dress was long enough not to expose my butt, and it wasn't like anyone could even see me from the party anyway. I was far enough away to have complete privacy.

There was a pond near the bench, and I watched idly as ducks floated along the surface, sometimes ducking their heads into the water. Crickets chirped in the background, and with the distant chatter of the party, it was all quite relaxing.

* * *

It was night when I awoke, and I realized I must've fallen asleep, despite not having been tired. Oh well. I felt around my head and decided my hair was fine, though if anything I'd be better off checking myself in a bathroom mirror as soon as possible. I made my way back to the mansion as fast as heels on grass would let me. Which wasn't very fast.

As soon as I found myself back indoors, I grabbed a glass of white wine from a passing waitress and headed straight for the nearest bathroom. Only problem was I didn't know _where_ the nearest bathroom was. Instead, I almost bumped into Jenna as she got her own glass of wine.

"Should you be drinking?" She asked, unimpressed. She raised her eyebrows like she was challenging me.

"No, I'm not drinking alcohol at all. This is really watered-down apple juice." I took a large gulp and grimaced. "Yep, tastes really shitty. Exactly how watered-down apple juice should."

Jenna rolled her eyes and was about to respond with something undoubtedly witty, when she was interrupted by Logan 'Scum' Fell calling out her name. Seeing my chance and grasping it, I escaped from the scene before my aunt could give me one of her cheesy parental lectures.

I got lost trying to find the bathroom, and ended up in the room upstairs that held all the antique donations from the founding families. Damon and Elena were the only people in the room, so I escaped before they noticed me. I was doing far too much escaping at a party that I thought was going to be fun, though hearing Damon talk about the 'original Salvatore brothers' would be just as mind-numbing.

I already knew their history, and didn't plan on hearing it all over again. I'd rather hear stories of the Originals as humans, and their first hundred or so years of vampirism.

Bonnie was sitting alone at a table, this weird smile on her face as she stared off at nothing. I sat down across from her and continued sipping my wine, smiling at the witch in greeting. We didn't talk, and I was actually glad. There was really nothing to chat about, and mindless small-talk about the weather or who came with who didn't appeal to me right then.

A slight breeze came out of nowhere and blew out the candle sitting between us on the table. We both glanced at it, before Bonnie stared at it intensely for a few seconds. The candle re-lit, then Bonnie blew it back out again angrily.

"You didn't see that, did you?" She asked me, annoyed and worried at the same time. She was definitely unnerved with what she could do.

I shrugged. "I didn't if you don't want me to. But Bonnie, you have to stop hiding your powers. Whether they're a gift or a curse is completely up to you. Just be positive about them."

She frowned but didn't reply, so I finished my wine and got up to go find some champagne. When I sat down with a glass, Bonnie was gone, but it didn't bother me in the least. I finished the champagne a little while later and decided it was finally time to find a bathroom.

This time, I was successful. My hair was fine, thank God, and only my lipstick was a little rubbed off from drinking. I was reapplying it when Caroline came in to do some touch-ups of her own. She completely ignored my existence, though I really didn't expect anything else from her.

Just before I left, I turned to look at Caroline's shoulders through her crochet cardigan-shawl-thingy. "Don't let Elena see those bite marks. She might freak out." I grinned, spun and left the bathroom.

As I was absently strolling through the halls I noticed Bonnie staring wide-eyed at the dining table adorned with almost a hundred lit candles. I remembered her intentionally lighting one in the episode, only to realize that they all lit. I grabbed her arm gently and gestured to outside.

"I think it's time to go." I said, and Bonnie nodded in agreement. We headed for the car, but just before we got in, I stopped her. "Bon, you really need to embrace it."

This time, she almost seemed to contemplate what I said.

* * *

I'd accidentally forgotten to warn Damon that they were planning to vervain him via Caroline while I was at the Founder's Party.

It's not my fault that I failed to remember. I had wanted to warn Damon, knowingly saving Zach Salvatore's life in the process (which wasn't exactly my goal, but a plus nonetheless), but so much drama happens during Lockwood events that I forgot which event it actually was.

New lesson learned: as much as I want to, there will be some events that I just can't control.

But after I realized my mistake, I also realized that Damon would be getting out of the Salvatore basement prison sometime during the next week anyway. And the day was drawing near... Tomorrow, to be specific.

But for now, I was downstairs drinking coffee while Jenna caught up on one of her college assignments. Elena came pounding down the stairs, looking far from amused.

"Jenna, Carmen, are either of you aware of what's going on upstairs?" She asked us in a hushed tone, not quite a whisper.

Jenna nodded. "Uh-huh."

"You mean the fact that Vicki spent the night with Jeremy?" I asked her right back, raising my eyebrows. "Because I swear you should already know that they've been screwing since summer break."

Elena shot me a disgusted glance at my choice of words before settling her stern gaze on Jenna. "And you have no objection?"

"He could be craftier about it." Jenna was entertained more than anything, and I laughed at how different they were reacting to the situation. I didn't understand why Elena seemed so offended by it, like it was a personal insult to her. "At least make an effort to sneak her in and out. Oh, and just so you know, I won't be home for dinner."

"Ohhh." Elena smirked, her mood changing in an instant. "So you're actually going to do it. You're gonna go out with Logan."

I made a gagging sound. "Ugh, Jenna, you can do so much better than Scum Fell. He looks like a mouse and is the biggest sleaze ever."

"I'm gonna show up and torture him, yes." Jenna insisted, rolling her eyes at me. Elena laughed. "And have you heard from Stefan?"

Elena's mood changed yet again, this time to exasperation. "Not since he left that very vague message three days ago. 'Hi. Um, Elena, I, um... I have something I have to do. I'll, uh, explain in a few days'."

I laughed at her pretty accurate imitation of the broody Salvatore. "Yep, that sounds like Stefan."

Jenna laughed too. "Have you called him?"

"Nope. Not going to either."

"And you're okay with everything?" Jenna asked, and it hit me how much she was falling into the role of concerned parent.

Elena slammed the carton of milk down on the bench. "No, I'm not okay with any of it. But I'm not gonna cry about it either. You know, I was gonna write in my diary, and then I thought: 'What am I gonna write?' I'm not gonna be one of those pathetic girls whose world stops spinning because of some guy." She shoved a spoonful of cereal in her mouth.

"Okay, then." Jenna was taken aback, her lips pursed and eyes wide.

"Well you seem pretty worked up about it, Elena." She looked like she was about to deny it, so I held up a hand to stop her. "Before you make any excuses, just hear me out. Stefan is obviously having family issues concerning Damon, and the way Damon had been treating Caroline. But you of all people should know what having family troubles is like. You don't want to bring anyone else into our troubles, and it seems that Stefan doesn't want to either."

"But Caroline is one of my best friends." Elena argued, looking at me with accusing eyes as if I was the bad guy. "Damon _abused_ her."

I refrained from groaning at her stubbornness. "And Stefan is dealing with Damon, his _brother_. Remember how I said you have control issues when we had that last fight? Well this is gonna help you learn to overcome them. Don't get involved with other people's issues, and don't let this lack of involvement affect your mood. Just be happy."

Elena frowned, but nodded. "I'll be fine." She walked off with her bowl of cereal.

I drove to school with her in silence, not bringing up any of our past conversation. Elena played The Fray through the car speakers via her iPod, which was her favorite band and one that I didn't mind every once in a while.

At school, Caroline was handing out fliers for the Sexy Suds Car Wash, and when she saw me I was immediately enlisted to the cause.

"You might not be a cheerleader or whatever," Caroline began, tossing her hair over one shoulder. "But you'd look totally hot in a bikini, so you're helping out tomorrow. Dana can give you the details."

I'd raised my eyebrows as she left while Dana laughed, and then told me all I needed to know. Just the usual info – what time to get there to help set up, what kind of jobs I'd be doing, and that a bikini is the only appropriate attire.

Good thing my new body was slim and fit, with curves in _all_ the right places.

After school I agreed to join Elena at the Grill. She said we never spend enough time together, though I didn't really need any persuading. I was glad Mystic Falls had a cool place to hang out, no matter your age. Fast food, alcohol, darts, and pool. Couldn't get better than that.

We spotted Matt playing pool when we arrived, being a little loner. We headed over, and I assumed it was to join in, but Elena had other plans.

"Hey, Matt. Um, have you seen Stefan?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

I cringed. "You totally had plans to meet Stefan here, and wanting to spend time with me was just bullshit, wasn't it?" I crossed my arms defiantly.

Elena looked guilty but didn't say anything, instead turning away to look for her boyfriend. Whom she was apparently no longer angry at.

Matt gave me a sympathetic glance, but turned to Elena with obvious hope in his eyes. "If you wanna kill some time, you can both rack." Elena turned back and smiled halfheartedly. "Come on, we haven't played in forever. I'll let you break."

Elena finally gave him a genuine smile, and we began a new game. Because Matt was obviously better than my sister and I, we teamed up and took turns trying to sink the balls.

"Jeremy is still in his drugged-out emo stage of life, even though I thought it would've passed by now. Even sleeping with your older sister despite only being fifteen." Elena said, leaning over the table to take her shot. "And there's Vicki all nonchalant in the bathroom like it's no big deal that they're hooking up." She took her shot and got it in.

Matt grimaced. "Yeah, I'm not gonna lie, your brother and my sister, that's weird."

"Yeah," Elena agreed, checking her phone when it buzzed.

I scrunched up my nose. "The only thing I find weird is that _she's_ three years older than him, and not the other way around."

But Matt wasn't paying attention, instead looking at Elena with sad puppy eyes. "How late is he?"

"Hitting the hour mark." She replied with fake cheer, setting up the cue for her second shot and missing. "Nothing's wrong, though. Which means I'm not talking boy problems with you."

"Good. I mean, it's not like we were ever best friends or anything." Matt laughed, lining up the cue for his shot. He missed as well.

"Okay," Elena sighed, "here goes. What do you think of Stefan? Is he a good guy?"

I took Elena's pool cue as Matt replied. "Why, what's he done?"

"Not any one thing. He's just so secretive all the time. I think there's something he doesn't want me to know, which makes me wanna know all the more."

I took my shot and sunk a ball.

Matt laughed. "Like that he's a serial killer and he keeps a clown suit in his trunk?" I laughed at that as I set up for my next shot.

"No, of course not." Elena shrugged. "But what do we know about him, really?"

Matt contemplated it for a quick moment. "He's great at football. Little bit of a loner. And as much as I hate to say it, he might be a nice guy."

"And Elena," I started, just after I missed my second shot. "Stefan seems uncomfortable in his own skin, thus the awkwardness. His loner disposition has made him shy and unable to explain himself well, which is why he um's and ah's all the time. It doesn't mean he's hiding anything."

Elena turned to us fully as she took the cue back from me. "So you both think I'm just being paranoid?"

I nodded.

"I think you should talk to him." Matt said, at the same time Stefan arrived.

"Talk to who?" He asked, though obviously he knew who. "I'm so sorry that I'm late."

"What happened?" Elena asked, curious.

"I got held up." Stefan replied. His voice was rather stiff, an obvious tell that he was lying. Except, he actually was held up. Maybe even omitting pieces of the truth felt too much like lying to him.

Elena wasn't gonna give up though. "Is everything okay?"

"There's this thing with my uncle." Stefan glanced to Matt and I before turning his sight back to Elena.

"You couldn't call and tell me you're gonna be an hour late?"

If I still had the pool cue, I would've poked Elena with it. "Obviously he was busy, drop it."

Matt grabbed my arm and began dragging me away. "Okay. You two have fun."

We went over to another pool table, far enough away that we were out of earshot. Matt and I played another few games, talking about school and how he was thinking of getting a job at the Grill and the car wash tomorrow. It was simple, and like usual, the lack of drama felt nice.

I'd never really paid attention to Matt when I watched the show, but actually hanging out with him was pretty fun. I don't think I'd ever have been attracted to him in a romantic or sexual way, though I could see why Elena, Caroline and Rebekah all seemed to have had an interest in him.

Elena had left soon after Stefan arrived, and he didn't stay long after that, so Matt offered to drive me home when we decided to call it a night. He didn't even try to make a move on me while we were alone in the car, unlike how another guy like Tyler probably would have. He was just a genuinely sweet guy.

Stefan was making dinner for Elena when I got home, and offered me some just to be nice, though I knew he really wanted it to be between him and my sister only. I declined, telling him I ate at the Grill. It wasn't a lie. Matt and I had shared a plate of fries during one of our games, and it filled me up enough that I didn't need or want a second dinner.

After brushing my teeth and washing up, I headed straight to bed, reading some more of _Dorian_ _Gray_ before sleep overtook me.

* * *

Car wash day was here. After much discussion with Dana over the phone, I finally decided on which bikini out of the many I found to wear: a soft green halter-style top with matching bottoms. It was a push-up bikini top too, so while very simple in color, it was also _very_ sexy.

With a sheer white chiffon dress over the top and strappy white sandals, Caroline would be pleased. I threw my wavy hair up in high ponytail and didn't bother with any makeup. I would be getting wet today, so it would be stupid to bother with foundation and mascara.

Once I got to the school, I threw my dress and handbag into my locker, before returning outside to find Caroline. She was at the 'pay here' table, and when I saw her outfit, I was immediately disappointed. Her bikini top was made of pink ruffles, she wore denim short-shorts, hoop earrings, and had her hair in two short plaits.

She looked more like a young girl at a pool party than a sexy teenager at a car wash.

"No friend discounts. No freebies." She began lecturing Elena, who was in a maroon sweater, and I. "No pay-you-laters. We are not running a charity here."

"No, we are not." Elena agreed sarcastically, and I couldn't hold back my eyes from rolling.

Stefan approached us. "Hi," he said to Elena, gaining her attention. Stefan was in a jumper. It wasn't even cold, so I don't understand why him and Elena felt the need to cover themselves so much.

"Hey." Elena replied, over enthusiastic. She stood up and Stefan rubbed her shoulder.

I pulled a face to Caroline, who stood up with her arms crossed. "Uh, the event is called Sexy Suds, you know?" She smirked.

"Says the girl who's dressed like a five-year-old in her first bikini." I laughed, earning a glare from Caroline as she walked away. I turned to the others. "Better take it off. Not like you two aren't unfit."

I left the lovebirds alone and made my way over to Bonnie and Matt, deciding to help them clean their car. Dana was my only friend that would be helping today, but I couldn't see her anywhere. She must've been getting supplies.

Matt passed me a towel to help dry the car before staring off at Elena and Stefan kissing. I wasn't the only one who noticed.

"Uh-uh. No." Bonnie scolded him seriously. "None of that tortured pining stuff."

Matt smiled guiltily and went back to drying the car. "I'm just observing."

"Uh-huh." Bonnie rolled her eyes, and saw another car arrive. "Oh. Tiki. This one's yours."

She pointed to a rusty red car that had just pulled up, and Tiki eyed it warily as the driver got out.

"Why do I always get the homely ones?" She complained, picking up the bucket of soapy water beside her. Tiki turned to the driver. "Just to be clear, your car's a POS. I mean, we can wash it, but it's still a POS."

"Damn, bitch." I muttered. The driver looked really taken aback and upset. It was probably his first car, and unlike all those rich kids who get their parents to buy them their first cars, this guy obviously had to gather the cash himself.

Bonnie glared at the other dark-skinned girl. "You don't have to be rude."

"No, rude is uglying up the road with that junker." The driver threw his keys in the car and left it for us to wash, so Tiki sighed and leaned over to put a hose in the bucket to fill it up a bit more.

I watched, amused, as Bonnie stared intensely at the bucket. Soon enough there was a huge spray of bubbly water shooting right at Tiki's face.

"Ugh, God! What the-? Oh, my God. What the-?" Tiki was incoherent, and way more upset than she should've been. The soap would've stung her eyes, but other than that, it was just water. Getting wet at a car wash? How horrible and unexpected.

Bonnie lightly smiled as the hose kept spurting water at high-pressure, until Bonnie realized what she'd done and her eyes went wide and jaw dropped. I put my hand on her arm reassuringly.

"Please just go talk to your Grams." I urged her. "You can't deny that she's right, and you need to control your powers before they get out of control." Like setting a car on fire by accident, for example.

Bonnie nodded. "I will, I promise. But before I think about that, we should wash this car."

I agreed, and we set to work on the car that Tiki so openly hated. I glanced around, looking for Dana or any of my other friends who might've decided to show up, but instead saw Elena at the 'pay here' table. She was talking to this old guy that I remembered was Tiki's grandpa, and I knew exactly what they were talking about.

That old man remembered seeing Stefan, and Damon, in 1953. That was the year that Damon had killed Joseph Salvatore. I knew Elena was going to get Scum Fell to let her see news files from the 50s. She'd see Stefan in the background of a video, and using all the info she'd collected so far, later in the night she'd come to a conclusion: Stefan was a vampire.

Good for her.

In the meantime, Bonnie and I had finished cleaning the red car. I finally spotted Dana across the parking lot and practically skipped over to her. We greeted each other with a big hug, and I helped her wash the silver car she was currently soaping up. I began to enjoy myself a bit more, Dana and I even having a little water fight.

Caroline was nowhere to be found, so she must've been off on her little errand to let Damon out of his prison. And then it hit me – Damon was using a form of mind control on Caroline, so why do no other vampires do it in the series? I honestly could not remember another time it had been done, but I could think of plenty events where it might be useful.

As Dana and I dried the car, I looked back to Bonnie and casually watched her light a nearby stream of soapy water on fire. The stream led to a small blue car, which instantly lit on fire as well. I could see the trance Bonnie was in even at a distance, and it wasn't until Stefan arrived and began shaking her shoulders that the fire went out.

I smirked, hoping she'd think back to what I said before. A witch in denial is a very dangerous witch indeed.

* * *

**Has anyone else noticed how only Damon used that long-distance compulsion, and only once? I think it's a pretty cool trick, and they should've added it into the show more often. Especially for the Originals. Klaus or Kol could have lots of fun compelling other vampires from a long distance ;)**

* * *

**Review Replies:**

**lostfeather1: **_I'm so glad you think so, and your enthusiasm is making me grin madly! I love the power she holds too, and as we get further into the story we'll see her use it far more. Oh, I think you'll love her meetings with each Original as they enter the story. I already planned how she would meet each of them the second I thought of writing this story, and they're each very... unique. I really hope it will be. Thank you so much for reviewing, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)_

**Allie: **_Don't worry, she'll hate her soon enough ;) Though Carmen is still trying to change Elena, she already feels closer with Jeremy and Jenna, even though she spends less time with them. I've forgotten about 50% of season 1 episodes and only remembered them when I rewatched them for this fic, so don't worry if you didn't watch them all. And without it being too much of a spoiler, Carmen won't actually be able to meet Katherine straight away because of... circumstances out of her control ;) And she does fangirl when she meets him, but it'll be a little bit different than most reactions. It's basically going to set up the main reason Elijah becomes fascinated by Carmen *evil grin*_

_I didn't make Damon attack her in chapter 4 because I wasn't sure if the circumstances were right with everything he was doing to Vicki, but in chapter 5 I saw the perfect opportunity. And for a mild spoiler: Carmen's gonna have to get used to being choked against a wall. God, that sounded so dirty. Anyway, I'm really getting into your enthusiasm for her first meeting with Elijah! And I've got a feeling the Elijah/Carmen fans will LOVE it. I'm so happy that you already love it. I love you for loving it! All the love!_

**lozcollie: **_I'm glad you think so! And no, there'll be no Damon/Carmen, but their friendship will grow a lot and they'll eventually become actual best friends. That won't stop him from threatening her from time to time though ;)_

**JokerValshe: **_Thank you, and I definitely will!_

**belladu57: **_Thank you! :)_

* * *

**Like usual, thank you to everyone who took their time to review. Even if it's an 'I like it' or an 'Update soon!', getting reviews makes me feel like I'm succeeding as an author. And thanks to all my wonderful followers and favoriters 3**


	7. Blood is the New Drug

**Another double-episode chapter! Expect a few more of these and a few episode-skips in the future. I'm trying to keep it as interesting as possible for you without skipping over large chunks of the show, but that means _fillers_.**

**I won't be making any chapters made entirely of original-content until season 2, but I do have a few plot twists planned for Carmen until then.**

**This is also the longest chapter yet. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Blood is the New Drug**

Halloween was barely a few days away, which only meant one thing to me: it was my birthday.

_My_ birthday. Not Carmen's, who was born early September with Elena, but _mine_. Cassie's. It was the day I was supposed to turn nineteen. The thought of that was both exhilarating and terrifying.

Nineteen was the last teen year, and I had mighty plans for it. Mostly clubbing, bar-hopping and camping. I wanted to use every moment of that last year in the most memorable way possible.

Or maybe not so memorable, considering the amount of alcohol I'd planned to consume. Though photo evidence would've been close enough.

But instead I was stuck in the body of a seventeen-year-old. It was a nice body, in one of my favorite fictional worlds, and I even got a chance to relive my last three teen years all over again. But a wave of melancholy fell over me since the instant I woke up despite all that. A melancholy that I _would_ get rid of no matter what.

I needed to make some plans.

I wanted to celebrate my birthday in some way or another. I was like Caroline – my birthday was the highlight of every year and everyone I knew had to celebrate with me. But it wasn't like I could tell anyone how important today was for me in this world. I would have to think of something fun to do for no reason at all.

But before I made plans, I had to figure out what episode it was.

It was late in the morning, and Elena told Jenna and I that she had a date with Stefan. Seeing as I know she found out his big secret last night, it was more of an interrogation than a date.

Damon escaped from his little prison during the car wash yesterday, and I remembered from the show that he'd feasted on the druggies who were parting at the Salvatore tomb. How fitting. Vicki survived the massacre, and Damon took her home to the boarding house.

Later they would be partying and I unquestionably planned to join, but for now, I wanted to spend time with people who weren't surrounded by drama. My best friends. I sent a group text out to Dana, Chad, Karen, Jane and Ben, asking them if they wanted to have a picnic out by the falls with me... and a bottle of bourbon.

Jane and Ben had planned a date for the day - _finally_ - and therefore couldn't make it. I didn't mind though, instead thrilled that Jane finally realized how cute Ben was, and that he really, _really_ liked her. My other three friends agreed to go, so with a happy squeal I began to get ready.

Carmen: 1

Melancholy: 0

It was a warm day, so I put on a short pastel pink and cream dress, brown belt around my waist, and slipped on cream flats. I wore my hair up in a messy bun to keep it casual, and had minimal makeup on. Happy with how I looked, it was time to pack some food.

Dana and Karen lived on the same street so they decided to carpool, and said that they'd buy some cookies from the convenience store on their way to the falls. Chad told his mum what they were doing and she offered to make ham and cucumber sandwiches, so that was two things crossed off the list.

I had no idea if the Gilbert's owned a picnic basket, but in the closet upstairs I found a picnic blanket and a large bag that could fit both the blanket and some food. I took it down to the kitchen and began exploring.

In the pantry I found crackers and corn chips, and in the fridge was salsa and an unopened tzatziki dip. There was also a mostly-full bottle of juice and quarter of a watermelon, so I took both. Filling up a large bottle with water, I figured that it was enough food for the three of us.

But where was I going to get the bourbon? The alcohol cabinet only had half a bottle of tequila and some wine, so I hoped to God that Jeremy wasn't home and crept upstairs.

I pushed his door open barely an inch, and let out a sigh of relief that the room was empty. I went in and looked around for a bottle of bourbon, and found a practically full bottle immediately. With all his pipes and bongs gone, he'd just think Jenna went through his room again.

The bag was now insanely heavy, and I thanked my lucky stars that Chad texted me and offered to give me a lift. He explained that he was also going to pick up Dana and Karen, figuring that if we planned on drinking than he might as well be the designated driver.

Ten minutes later and we were stopped at the convenience store while Karen quickly ran and got a packet of double-chocolate chip cookies. Another five minutes and we were at the falls. I set up the blanket near the makeshift hut that the back-to-school party had been centered around. We would've gone under the cover there, but it was such a beautiful day. One we didn't want to waste.

The picnic was absolutely perfect. With the soothing sound of the falls in the background, my friends and I joked, laughed and told crazy stories to each other, growing tipsy and giggly as we nibbled on the food. Chad didn't mind being sober, and he kinda reminded me of Matt: that one super sweet guy who would always be there for his friends, no matter what. He was lucky that he would be with Dana in the future.

Around two in the afternoon we decided to pack up and leave, Chad driving us home one by one. I thanked each friend profusely for making lunch especially great with their presence. It was only slightly the alcohol talking.

Once inside my own home, I fell on the couch and sighed dreamily.

And then bolted upright with a lazy grin on my face. Damon and Vicki most definitely would be starting their little party right about now, so it was time for me to go. I hid the rest of the bourbon in my handbag and left, having to walk to the boarding house.

Even if Elena hadn't have taken the car, I would not have been able to drive in my current state at all.

The party was well under way by the time I arrived, the rock music blasting so loud I could hear it from halfway down the driveway. I didn't even hide my presence, barging straight through the front door. Once I was out of any shafts of sunlight, Damon flitted in front of me.

"Well, if it isn't the blonde Gilbert," Damon smirked, taking a swig of whiskey straight from the bottle. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

I pulled my own bottle from my bag and held it up, glorifying it. "I came here to party." I glance around his body to see the girl my brother adored so much dancing in a tank top and her underwear. "Hey Vicki."

"Hi Carmen!" Vicki replied cheerily, barely stopping to look at me. "Come dance with us."

Damon's smirk seemed to deepen. "Oh, she will. But first she has to strip down to her underwear as well."

"This dress barely covers my butt already, so no." I rolled my eyes and kicked off my shoes, poking a single finger at Damon's bare chest to try and push him out of the way. He grabbed my hand and spun me around as he took another long drink instead.

I giggled, dancing and watching as Vicki's movements became faster and more aggressive.

"I am so over Tyler. So over him." She exclaimed, then half ran–half skipped over to a shaft of light pouring through a body-sized gap in the curtains. She began spinning with her arms outstretched. "I knew from the beginning I was only a piece of ass to him, but I thought if he got to know me he might see something more. But no!"

I grimaced. "Yeah, I'm not Tyler's biggest fan either. He's a complete douche." I sipped at my bourbon and swayed to the beat. "Everyone deserves better than Tyler fucking Lockwood!"

Vicki nodded enthusiastically. "But Jeremy, on the other hand, all he's ever seen in me is more, and I like it." She giggled, flopping on the ground and writhing provocatively in the sunlight.

"Jeremy, huh?" Damon said, and by his slurred words I could tell he was getting drunk. He turned to look at me with squinted eyes. "Yours and Elena's brother?"

I shrugged and nodded, continuing my movements, hips swaying to the beat.

"Yeah." Vicki grinned and jumped up. She instantly began skipping around the room and flapping her arms either like a child or a crazy person. "Yeah. So Elena used to date my brother, and they were always together so Jeremy would always be hanging around and crushing on me and- Hey, why don't you have a girlfriend? You're like totally cool and so hot."

"I know." Damon agreed as if it were obvious. Which it kind of was. No denying how sexy Damon was, especially with his shirt unbuttoned.

I laughed at how much of a mess Vicki was. I was beginning to get drunk myself, and despite knowing how this day was going to end, the happy atmosphere was easy to get caught up in. Drunk people were just so much _fun_. This was the best birthday ever.

"Don't you wanna be in love?" Vicki mused dreamily.

I thought about that for a moment. "I've never been in love, but yeah, I guess I do... If a guy can earn my love, of course." I winked at the brunette girl and giggled.

"I've been in love." Damon informed the us, his tone now sober. Fucking Katherine is a life-ruiner. "It's painful and pointless and overrated."

He grabbed Vicki's hand and they began prancing around together. "Except when it isn't!" Vicki insisted, while Damon grabbed my other hand and made me join in with their frolicking.

"No more talking. Let's dance!"

He picked me up and spun me around, then grabbed Vicki's arms as they began dancing together. The boarding house was huge, but we managed to use as much of it as we could, slowly dancing through the hallways and gradually making our way to Stefan's room.

I jumped on the bed with Vicki, while Damon pulled books from Stefan's shelves and threw them around. He picked up a box and poured its contents on the floor.

I felt a little bad, but just knowing my presence had nothing to do with Damon and Vicki's actions gave my conscience a rest. I sat up against the head of Stefan's bed and kept drinking while I watched the other two continue to destroy the room, throwing everything around and smashing fragile items.

I was jostled around as Vicki began jumping on the bed again, and couldn't control the laughter that bubbled up inside me. Damon was examining the photograph of Katherine that Stefan kept all those years, then turned to look back at Vicki and I closely.

He was deep in thought, which was never good.

A sombre Green Day song came on next, so Damon took Vicki's hand and dragged her off the bed for a slow dance. Her mood instantly changed to something rather gloomy, and tears formed in her eyes soon after.

It reminded me of Elena's constant mood swings, especially the ones she had the other morning. Damon brought the girl in for a comforting hug as they rocked back and forth to the music.

"My mum spends most of her time in Virginia Beach with Pete. He drives trucks." Vicki stated, explaining her sudden cheerlessness. Damon stroked her hair idly. "I don't remember my dad, but from what I gather he's not worth remembering."

"Your life is so pathetic." Damon told her patronizingly. His vaguely harsh tone was lost on Vicki though.

"Yeah?" She asked, though it sounded more like she was agreeing. "I mean, I'm the screwed-up one. Matt's got it so easy. He's the golden boy. I mean, he's gonna get a football scholarship and marry Elena and have a lawnmower and some babies and... when I think of my future, I just come up blank."

Damon pulled away slightly to look in her eyes. "You are so damaged."

Vicki nodded morosely. "Yep."

"I mean, you don't have one hint of self-esteem."

She shook her head. "Nope, none."

Damon sighed. "I think I know what can help you." He placed his hands on either side of Vicki's head and rested his forehead against hers, stroking her hair.

"What's that?"

Damon stared at her more deeply before simply stating, "Death." And with one quick flick of his hands, Vicki's neck was snapped.

I'd seen Vicki injured with blood all over her neck, and I'd watched all the Vampire Diaries' related deaths on TV, but I had yet to see somebody die right before my eyes. Even with the knowledge that she would wake up in transition, it was quite an intense moment for me. I just witnessed my first death out of many that were sure to come.

Damon looked to me with his eyebrows raised, and I shrugged. "You're turning a drug-addict who has a thing for mine and _Elena's_ brother into a vampire. Not to mention I know she's already addicted to blood. If anything bad happens, it's your problem, not mine."

"I'm bored and pissed at Stefan for locking me away and hiding my daylight ring." Damon shrugged right back at me. "It's as much his problem as it is mine."

"Whatever. But there's something I wanna know." I paused and frowned at the older Salvatore. "Why haven't you tried to eat me yet? Or at least snapped my neck?"

Damon shrugged. "Because you haven't told me how you know so much about me yet… Also, you're hot. Killing you would be a waste."

"I told you that I'll tell you when I can." Wow, was that sentence confusing or was I just really drunk?

"What if I wanna know _now_?" He appeared in front of me and stared me in the eyes, his pupils dilating and contracting. Oh, my God, he was compelling me and I wasn't on vervain. "How do you know so much about me?"

I expected myself to automatically answer in the compelled-monotone voice, but I didn't. I didn't have the urge to tell him anything about the truth. I thought of a quick lie, and started it by rolling my eyes. "I'm on vervain, douchebag."

"Dammit, Stefan." Damon said, cursing under his breath. He folded his arms over his chest and looked grumpy.

"I'm gonna go home." I left the boarding house without Damon trying to stop me, thank God. I didn't want any more confrontations from him, nor to be there when Vicki woke up.

But, what the fuck? I wasn't on vervain, so why couldn't I be compelled? Did it have something to do with the fact I was possessing this body, or something else entirely? Ugh, all that thinking was giving me a headache.

Jeremy was the only one home, and even though I had a great day, I didn't plan on a lecture from Elena about being daytime drunk when she got home. I had a few glasses of water and fell into my bed for a nap. Sleep quickly overcame my hazy mind.

I was awoken what must've been an hour or two later from a commotion downstairs. I could hear Matt and Jeremy shouting at Vicki, who was shouting right back. I groaned at the annoyance, then heard a car pull up at the house too. It must've been Elena and Stefan.

When the noise of Vicki being taken to Jeremy's room faded into a lovely silence, I stumbled to the window seat and curled up there lazily. But it was barely five minutes later when I heard someone storming down the stairs and people shouting out Vicki's name.

I stayed where I was.

* * *

After the sun had set, there was a knock on my bedroom door, and Elena barged in before I could even answer.

"I know everything, Carmen." Elena told me with her arms crossed and eyes glaring daggers. "I had a very long day with Stefan discussing everything vampire-related, and he revealed that you have known what he and Damon are since their arrival. That you were _calm_ about it."

Oh God, I was going to get lectured. "And what of it? I've gotta live up to my nickname somehow."

"Why didn't you tell me? We're sisters, Carmen. And not just that, but _twins_ too. We're supposed to tell each other things like this. Especially because I was dating Stefan, a _vampire_, and you knew!" She threw her arms up in exasperation.

"Stefan could never hurt you, and I know that. You shouldn't expect me to have told you his big secret. It's not my duty to go exposing him and Damon." I laughed drily and shook my head. "Tell me this. Are you going to inform Jeremy, Matt, Caroline or Bonnie of what the Salvatores are? Especially now that Vicki is in transition."

Elena shoved a hand through her hair and began pacing. "That's beside the point! You withheld important information from me, and now, I don't know how I can trust you. Maybe when I find out something important, I'll keep it from you. Then you can see how it feels to be kept in the dark."

This time I laughed with genuine amusement. "Every single thing you learn in the future, I already know. I can't tell you about any of it now because it doesn't work that way. You have to find it all out yourself. And really, it doesn't matter to me whether you trust me or not. That's _your_ problem."

"Okay, at least tell me one thing." Elena looked more stubborn and defiant than ever. "_How_ do you know so much already?"

I'd always dreaded it when Damon asked me that, and had only came up with one believable answer during all my contemplation. I didn't want to tell Damon while we were drunk, just in case it came out wrong or if I found a better excuse later on.

And my answer probably wouldn't be believable right now, but it would be in the future. I just hoped there was at least some grain of truth to it.

"That can be summed up in just two words: Uncle John."

And like I thought, Elena was unimpressed with my response. Angry, she removed herself from my room with a slam of my door. She might've thought I was joking now, but it was only a matter of time until she found out that John knows the truth.

And undoubtedly, she would come crawling back to me for more information about the supernatural world I knew oh so much about.

* * *

School and Halloween on the same day? That could only mean fun.

There were students helping set up for the Halloween event tonight, putting up banners and stacking bales of hay here and there. I sat at a table with Dana, Karen and Chad, carving freaky faces into pumpkins. We chatted about how great yesterday was, and how great tonight would be.

A girl walked passed with a cauldron and I grinned at the festivity.

There wasn't anything to do in this town other than hang at the Grill or visit the falls, so they made up for it in events. And some of them, like this one, were actually fun. Dana and Karen discussed costume ideas with me for tonight, while Chad just insisted he was going to go as a zombie. Apparently it was something he liked to do every year.

Currently, I was dressed in a sailor-style Japanese schoolgirl outfit, in navy blue and white, that Karen brought for me to wear. She was wearing a white dress with bunny ears, and Dana was dressed as a cat girl, complete with ears, tail, and whiskers drawn on her cheeks with eyeliner.

All my classes passed by in a blur of anticipation for tonight, a few of them even dedicated to decorating the halls. We spent lunch splattering fake blood everywhere and covering all the empty corners we could find with cottony spiderwebs. Australia wasn't really big on celebrating Halloween, and my mum was less than impressed with the '_evil_' holiday, so I'd never celebrated before.

Well, unless you count the time I stayed at Molly's house, us dressed as gothic princesses, and got chocolates from her grandparents down the street.

We went shopping after school for our outfits, and found exactly what we needed for the costume we'd planned. I was excited when I arrived home, and not at all hungry though I knew eating would be wise. I headed to the kitchen and made some avocado on toast.

Jeremy came into the kitchen with his phone against his ear, grabbing a jug of water from the fridge. His phone volume was up loud enough that I could hear the beep for him to leave a voice message.

"You gotta call me, Vick." Jeremy said into the phone, his face showing nothing but concern. He deserved so much better than Vicki, and I couldn't wait for Anna to come and go so he'd start liking Bonnie. I totally shipped them. "I don't get it. What's going on with you? Just... Just call me, please."

Elena walked in as Jeremy grabbed a glass from the cupboard with his back to her. She watched him for a few moments, concerned for him like he was for Vicki.

"Hey," she said softly, though Jeremy only acknowledged her by half turning and sighing. "So, um, do you wanna hang out tonight? We could go to the Halloween thing at school. It could be fun."

Jeremy finally turned all the way around. "Cool. Sure. Sounds fun. Can't wait."

"I'm going too, so cheer up." I smiled warmly at my brother. "You need to have some fun."

Jeremy just rolled his eyes and began walking away.

"I know you're upset about Vicki. I heard she called Matt." Elena stated, and it made him stop. "But you can't be with her. She needs to get better. The best thing you can do for her is let her go."

Jeremy looked angry and upset... and confused. "What does that even mean, 'Let her go'?" He smiled sarcastically. "Oh, okay, sure. Since we're such experts on letting people go, right?"

"I know you may not see it, but trust me, Jer, it's for the best."

He stalked forward and glared at Elena. "For months after mum and dad died, I felt like crap. Like nothing-really-even-mattered crap. Now all of a sudden, I get these moments, and things started to feel just a little bit better. And Vicki was in every single one of them. So you may not see it, but trust me. Keeping me away from her is not for the best."

He properly left the room this time, and Elena let out a defeated sigh. I rinsed my plate then put it in the dishwasher, before turning to Elena who just stood there with pursed lips.

"I don't want Jeremy seeing Vicki as much as you." I told her, and then gave her a reassuring smile. "But I've got this strange feeling that things are going to end with her tonight."

Elena nodded. "I hope you're right. Come on, we should get ready."

The two of us headed upstairs and into our bedrooms, the excitement for tonight coming back stronger than ever. I knew Elena was just going to re-wear her mildly slutty nurse outfit from last year, but I was going all out.

I put on a short, pastel blue and white gingham dress, frilly white socks and my black Mary Jane heels. I had my hair in a super high ponytail that was teased so much I just knew it would be a bitch to brush out when I got home, and dusted shimmery white power over my eyelids. My cheeks were rosy and my lips bright pink.

It wasn't at all a scary costume, until I put in the black sclera contact lenses that the costume store sold. Now I looked like some sort of demon trying to feign innocence. I looked freaky. I looked evil. And to be frank, I looked like I was ready to devour some souls.

I met up with Dana and Karen out the front of the school, and the three of us made quite the scary trio. Where my dress was blue, Dana's was pink and Karen's was purple. But our hairstyle, makeup, and contacts were all exactly the same.

I laughed at the people who did a double-take when they noticed our eyes, and we took far too many photos.

We found the cider that Tyler proclaimed was the 'Lockwood Special', before he left with a cup for Caroline and Bonnie, both dressed as witches and standing beside a bubbling cauldron. We had a few cups of the bitter drink, then spotted Jane and Ben in the crowd. We met up with them and I admired their outfits.

Seeing as the two were an official couple now, they wore matching outfits: Ben as Light Yagami and Jane as Misa Amane, characters from the anime Death Note. Jane looked especially cute in the blonde wig and emo getup.

Chad found us a moment later, grinning ear to ear. It was slightly unnerving in his gory zombie costume.

"We should check out the haunted house," he suggested, eyes twinkling with mischief. "I just saw some girls exit it almost crying."

I felt myself slowly return his toothy grin. "Ooh, count me in."

The others agreed just as readily, so we headed over to the haunted house they'd set up in several of the hallways and classrooms. There was smoke being spewed from hidden machines around every corner, and macabre decorations hanging from the ceiling and walls, or spread out along the floor.

The 'Druid Room' was set up to depict a human sacrifice for the sake of magic. A Pagan witch priestess raised a dagger high above her head when we entered, and slammed it down into the chest of the man who laid on a stone alter in front of her. The man was just a dummy, and I couldn't but think of the Originals when the priestess shoved her hand into the wound and pulled a fake heart out.

We left the room and continued on down the halls, squeezing passed the people who huddled together to examine a prop closely or just stood around and talked. There were kids making out here and there, lots of flirting, and lots of squealing from spooked girls.

It wasn't that scary, though I did jump here and there when a rotting corpse popped up out of nowhere or a cage full of dismembered animals rattled noisily. But mostly, I just laughed. I noticed Jane clinging tightly to Ben's side, and the satisfied smile on his face as he held a calming arm around her shoulders.

There were people dressed as everything and anything: fairies, ghosts, pirates, vampires, Romans, firemen, slutty animals, Egyptians, you name it. I was really getting into the atmosphere when Jeremy and Vicki pushed past me roughly. I glared after them and we continued on, but it was only a few minutes later when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Elena.

"Hey, have you seen Jeremy?" She asked worriedly, glancing around so she wouldn't miss a single thing.

I nodded. "Actually, yeah. He walked that way a few minutes ago." I pointed up ahead.

"Was he with Vicki?"

"Um, yeah." I shrugged and saw the disappointment in Elena's eyes. "Look, I don't want her alone with him at all. But what can I do? I'm only human, and she would hurt me for interfering."

Elena glared and grabbed my arm. "Oh no, we're going and putting an end to this right now. I don't care what you think. You know about everything that's going on, so you're automatically involved."

I groaned as she dragged me away from my friends, who were too caught up with the special-effects to notice I had been stopped. Elena and I ran through the halls until we found an open door leading outside to the school's bus parking lot. We heard Jeremy crying out and followed his voice to find Vicki advancing on him, her face full vamped-out.

Elena grabbed a plank of wood and ran into the fray. "Vicki, no!" She shouted, gaining the vampire girl's attention. Elena swung the piece of wood at her, but Vicki just pushed it aside and it fell to the ground. She then attacked Elena now, using her vampire strength to throw Elena into a pile scrap.

I grabbed Jeremy and kept him close to my side, though not necessarily safe. Elena rolled over and tried to get up as Vicki stalked closer for a second attack, but Stefan arrived just in time and shoved her up against a bus.

Jeremy pulled away from me and stumbled towards the vampires. "Vicki!"

I grabbed the back of his jacket and yanked him back to my side. "If you interfere, you'll get hurt." I hissed at him, making sure he got my warning glance.

Vicki managed to push Stefan off her. Despite his age, she'd just had fresh human blood, and Stefan only ever feasted on animals, keeping him nice and weak. Then Vicki used her vampire speed to seemingly disappear. I didn't remember this scene well enough to know where she went, and was glancing around cautiously like the others.

"Go. Get inside." Stefan ordered. He looked earnestly at Elena to listen to him for once. "Go!"

Elena nodded, clutching her side from a wound she received after being thrown, she grabbed Jeremy's arm and ran with him back to the door. I followed close behind though I knew we wouldn't make it. Vicki was bound to appear again at any moment.

And I was right. Just as Elena opened the door, Vicki appeared and pushed me then Jeremy to the side, before grabbing onto Elena and sinking her fangs into my sister's neck. Elena screamed, and I tried to go pull Vicki off her but Jeremy held me back. Thankfully, Stefan also felt the need to help Elena.

He shoved a stake through Vicki's back and into her heart, the wood protruding out the other side. Vicki backed away from Elena and whimpered, her mouth and eyes open wide with complete shock. She stared down at the long piece of wood sticking out of her chest, gasping when Stefan ripped it back out.

Beside me, Jeremy was crying. "Vicki!" He yelled, not wanting to believe what was happening right in front of him. "Vicki. Vicki! Vicki!" Stefan had to hold him back from running to the girl he loved.

The dark veins of a dead vampire began creeping along Vicki's now ashy skin, and she stared at Jeremy with a look I could only decipher as regret. She had started to love Jeremy like he loved her, and didn't mean to hurt him. I could physically see how truly sorry she was.

And then Vicki fell to the ground, dead.

Jeremy was sobbing now, still calling out her name. And it hit me that this was only the beginning of pain for him. It didn't start with his parents' death, it started with Vicki's.

Elena demanded that Stefan get Jeremy out of there, and he did so, calling Damon on the way. I watched as Elena crouched down, almost slipping, to cry over Vicki's body. As much as she had loathed the girl, Elena sure did feel upset. I assumed it must've been over how bad she felt. Or maybe because she knew it would break Matt's heart when he eventually found out.

Damon appeared not long after, raising his eyebrows at my costume as he walked over to Elena and Vicki's body. "You two should go. I got this." He said casually, causing Elena to glare at him.

"You did this. This is your fault." She accused, venom lacing her words.

Damon wasn't fazed. "You confuse me for someone with remorse." Elena tried to push him, but Damon didn't budge. Had she forgotten that he was a vampire already? She pulled her hand back and went to slap him, but he just caught her wrist. "None of this matters to me. None of it."

"People die around you." Elena spat at him. "How could it not matter? It matters, and you know it." She managed to actually slap him this time.

Even though the situation was dire, I had to control myself from cracking a smile as Damon thrust his head out at Elena to intimidate her, and she flinched away with a gasp like he'd wanted. But even if the move was somewhat childish, I could see how hard he was trying to restrain himself from snapping her neck.

"You need to leave." He stated simply. Then glanced down and nodded at Elena's outfit. "Your wounds are bleeding and you need to leave."

Keeping her eyes locked on Damon, Elena grabbed my arm and pulled me away with her. I knew I wasn't in any danger of Damon, but that was only because I hadn't aggravated him enough yet. But Elena didn't know about our somewhat-friendship, and I planned to keep it that way.

I managed to spot my friends and quickly told them goodbye, before Elena pulled me away again. She generally avoided everyone as we made our way down the edge of the grass beside the parking lot, but Matt came running up to us anyway.

"Elena!" He called out, gaining both of our attention. "Carmen. Hey, have either of you seen-? Whoa. What happened?"

"Nothing." Elena said quickly, knowing he meant all the blood on her body that certainly wasn't there last time her saw her.

I shrugged and gave Matt a cheeky smile. "I caught Lena with some fake blood."

Elena nodded. "Yeah, so now I'm gonna go home and shower." She turned to leave but Matt grabbed her arm.

"Wait. I can't find Vicki." He held his arms out with annoyance in a classic 'What the hell?' pose. "She totally bailed on me."

"I don't know where she is." Elena lied. It was a bad lie too, though technically she didn't know where Damon would be taking the body. I guess I did, though the exact location in the woods was lost on me.

I shook my head. "Sorry, Matt, I saw her once but only briefly."

"Is this what I'm in for?" He asked us, the energy seeming to deflate out of him. The poor boy just really needed someone steady in his life that he could count on, not an absent mum and low-life sister. "A lifetime of worrying about her?"

Elena tried to smile, but the attempt was weak. "You're a good brother, Matt."

"Yeah," he agreed, but you could see he didn't believe it. He thought for a moment. "Maybe she went home."

"Maybe."

"Okay." Matt stared at my sister for a second with longing, than turned and left, leaving us to worry about him.

Elena started crying again once we'd gotten in the car, so I offered to drive even though I'd had the cider earlier on. She refused, and I didn't push the matter. Stefan was waiting on the front porch when we got home, so I just nodded to him in acknowledgment before heading inside.

Jeremy was curled up in a ball on his bed and crying, so I went in silently and placed an arm around his shoulder. We sat like that for a minute until Elena came up. She rushed over to sit in front of our brother.

"Do you understand what happened tonight?" She questioned, her tone stern but not unkind.

"No." Jeremy looked lost. "I don't understand. I mean, I know what I saw, but I don't understand."

Elena took a deep breath. "She was going to kill me."

"Now she's dead. Vicki's dead." Jeremy sobbed some more, and I squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

"I'm so sorry, Jer." Elena tried to console him and failing. She cared deeply for so many people, but she wasn't very good at comforting them. "I'm-"

Jeremy flinched away from her touch. "Just make it stop. It hurts."

"Shh. It's okay. It's okay."

"Why does everyone have to die on me?" He questioned. He even turned to me as if I had the answer.

Elena just shook her head, tears now in her eyes, and pulled Jeremy into a big hug. "Oh, my God. Come here."

She left to talk to Stefan a little while later, so I stayed there with Jeremy and pulled him back into my embrace. We sat for several long minutes, not needing to say anything, just needing each others comfort. When Damon appeared in the doorway, I knew what he was going to do.

"Please just take away his suffering." I let go of Jeremy and he stared at me confused and a little scared, before Damon flitted in front of him and began the compulsion.

This was one of the few times I actually wanted somebody compelled to forget.

Tonight was... hectic. There was so much pain, both physical and emotional. But it was still just the beginning. And as much as I wanted to warn to others to prepare themselves, I knew deep down that I couldn't.

I don't think I could even prepare _myself_ for what's to come.

* * *

**That ending was far more emotional than I'd assumed it would be...**

**But oh, my God, l****ast chapter has gotten the most reviews so far, you guys are awesome!**

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**Review Replies:**

**SPB Wolf: **_Thank you :) And I can't wait to write it! Like seriously, I wanna just skip it all and get straight to that part... except there's some important stuff in season 1 I have to get through first. And she'll definitely fangirl when she meets the other Original boys, in her own special way. I'm not sure if Jenna is going to die yet. Carmen will try to save her, but I'm mentally freaking out. The only idea I've come up with is either Jenna or Caroline dying in the sacrifice. Any ideas for me to save them both? Or would you like one to die over the other?_

_I haven't read any fics where those powers were mentioned, but in the TVD books him and Katherine use those powers a lot (Katherine turns into a cat or a tiger, it's kinda badass)... And then there's Klaus in the books, who has even more awesome powers. He can visit the 'other side' at will, and even hold ghosts hostage. I would love to add some of those cool tricks into a future fanfic maybe, just not this one._

**Guest (1): **_Thank you so much, and I hopefully will! Season 1 will end at about chapter 15 of this fic, so we're around half way there :)_

**Allie:** _No Damon last chapter, but there was a fair bit of him in this one ;) Aww that's so sweet, and I'm really glad you think so! I read lots of girl-falls-into-TVD-world fics, and while I haven't read a bad one yet, you saying that has made my day! I have so much planned, and the reason she doesn't meet Katherine straight away is because of a HUGE plot twist I'm chucking in there. I've actually done so much research for the plot twist too, and I can't wait to write it._

_I agree, even though Matt said she could talk to him about Stefan, she should've known it would make him sad and denied him. In this chapter, Carmen starts getting annoyed by Elena more, but she won't start fully hating her until around the end of the season._

_And yes, I have! I've read plenty of fics like that, and I totally agree with the OC - how the hell would I choose between Elijah and Klaus? That's why I'm so excited to write their love-square with Kol included. I have an idea of who she might end up with, but it's mostly up to you readers :) Thank you, and I definitely will!_

**sarahgem: **_Oh, she will get Elijah to have a little more fun. Elijah can be playful already, especially with the way he acts around Jenna in front of Alaric, and to Andie during the dinner party in season 2. But Carmen's relationship with him will be different to everyone else's, and because of it he'll be very uptight around her at first (more so than he is with the others), but then he'll let all his walls down around her. You'll see what I mean in about 9 or 10 chapters time :)_

**Guest (2): **_Omg, I have a very good plan for her and Kol that I think you'll love! It won't be for quite a while yet (seeing as Kol isn't undaggered until season 3), but I'm so, so, so excited to write it. And it certainly does involve their fiery, mischievous personalities ;)_

**Maegan224: **_I'm so pleased to hear that! And I'm glad you picked up on that, as I'm trying to make this fic not feel like all the others out there. I want it to be unique. And I do have lots of twists and turns, so I hope you'll enjoy them. :)_

**Lucy Greenhill: **_I'm glad you decided to give it a go, and thank you!_

**lostfeather1**: _I was wondering if anyone was going to pick up on that! But I didn't want to skip those two episodes, just so I could have Carmen give Elena and Bonnie some much-needed advice. Oh, don't say that, Carmen's gonna get cocky ;) Though I'm glad you think so, because I really wanted a character that the readers love, but is also very believable. So yeah Carmen can be a bit bitchy and sarcastic sometimes, but she genuinely tries to be nice and friendly. Plus, who doesn't love a fun partygirl with a sense of humour? ;) And thank _you_ for loving it. I make up these stories for myself, but I continue writing/posting them for the awesome readers like you!_

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**Everyone who has reviewed, followed, favorited, or simply just read this fic - you guys are awesome and I love you all. Original boys to all of you!**


	8. Tequila Shots and Blondes

**Time for Stefan's birthday! I love Lexi, so I thought this episode deserved its own chapter. I hope you enjoy how it ends ;)**

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**Chapter 8: Tequila Shots and Blondes**

It was more than a week after Vicki's death and I had almost completely forgotten about it, everything dreadful that happened on Halloween shoved to the back of my mind. I knew Elena was still hung up about it, but because of her previous relationship with Matt, she'd known Vicki far better than I ever had.

And then one morning I was interviewed by Sheriff Forbes concerning where Vicki ran off to. I was only there because Jeremy and Elena had been closely involved and seen with her during Halloween.

No one but Damon and I knew about the little party we had before she was turned, and there were no outside witnesses to what had happened in the bus parking lot.

"When was the last time you saw Vicki?" The sheriff asked me, all business.

"At the Halloween party," I answered truthfully. Now for the lie. "She bumped into me in the hallway, but I didn't see her again after that."

Sheriff Forbes made a note. "Did she say anything to you? Maybe anything about leaving town for a while?"

I shook my head. "Sorry Sheriff, but she didn't say anything. I know she was dating my brother, but we've never been close." I shrugged nonchalantly.

"When was the last time you did speak to her?" Caroline's mum gave me a sad smile. "I know all these questions can be a pain, but we need to know as much as we can."

I returned her smile. "No, it's okay. I understand. Um, I'm pretty sure the last time I spoke to Vicki was just after she got out of hospital. She took some pills and got lost, but I found her and managed to calm her down. She was just freaking out that she'd opened her wound."

"One last thing." Sheriff Forbes said, placing her hands on the table in front of her, posture stiff. "Do you really believe Vicki has left town?"

"From what I know, her behavior has been really erratic lately and she seems to be following in her mum's footsteps, so yes."

The sheriff made a few more notes about that, then smiled up at me sincerely this time. "Thank you for your time and input, Carmen. You're free to leave."

I was the last to be interviewed, and when I was let out I saw Jenna waiting for me, along with Jeremy and Elena. It was only then did I notice that Jenna had put a golden brown dye through her usually light strawberry-blonde hair, and I felt bad for not realizing sooner. I was just so busy with supernatural business, and she was usually busy with her college assignments anyway.

Stefan was waiting outside, and Elena paused when she saw him. "I'll meet you guys at the car." She said to Jenna and Jeremy, but she put a hand on my arm to stay.

"Okay." Jenna said softly, her and Jer walking off to the car.

I walked the last few steps with Elena, but she continued on to stand close to her boyfriend. "You okay?" He asked her, rubbing his hand soothingly over her upper arm.

"I don't think the sheriff suspected anything." Elena replied, not giving him the answer he wanted, but it was close enough. "Jeremy had no memory at all. All he knew was what Damon made him know."

Stefan nodded as he contemplated the news. "Thank you."

"I can't do this, Stefan." Elena admitted. She looked back at me with frustration obvious in her eyes. "I have no idea how you can handle all of this knowledge, Carm. Every time I look at Matt or Jeremy, all I think is that Vicki is never gonna come back. And they'll never know why. Stefan, around you, people get hurt and people die and I just- I can't. It's just too much."

"Lena, it's okay. Everything will be okay." I reassured her. "Sometimes it hurts to have knowledge of vampires being real in the world, but in the long run, it's better this way. Ignorance isn't always bliss."

Elena sighed. "I guess I'm just not as strong as you, Carmen. I don't know if I'll ever get used to this."

"Why don't we go and talk about it?" Stefan suggested, aware that discussing this stuff in front of the police station wasn't the best idea.

"No." Elena replied instantly, half-shrugging. "Stefan, you have to stay away from me."

She walked away and I followed a moment later, after giving Stefan an apologetic look. "She'll come around, trust me."

It was mid-autumn, and with winter approaching fast, the days were growing shorter. Before I knew it, school was over and night had fallen. I was sitting on an armchair watching some stupid reality show, while Elena slumped on the couch and fiddled with the wine-red blanket on her lap.

Jenna flopped down next to Elena. "You're wallowing."

"So are you." My sister retorted, glancing over at our aunt.

"My wallowing is legitimate." Jenna clarified. "I was dumped."

"Good," I muttered. At the same time Elena said, "Yeah, well, Logan's a jerk."

Jenna frowned. "You didn't get a brush-off email saying, 'I'm leaving town. See you.'"

"Wanna keep it down over there?" Jeremy interrupted petulantly from the kitchen table.

Jenna rolled her eyes and turned to face her nephew. "Why? What are you doing?"

"Homework." Jeremy stated in a matter-of-fact voice, like it were insanely obvious. He had text and composition books open in front of him, backing up his answer.

I laughed at his tone while Elena scoffed. "Since when do _you_ do homework?"

"I gotta finish this. I'm way behind and I have a quiz tomorrow, so..."

We all stared at him with narrowed eyes. I knew his change of behavior was due to Damon's compulsion, but Jenna and Elena had different theories.

"What do you think?" Elena asked us quietly. "Alien?"

"Some sort of replicant." Jenna speculated. They sounded like they were discussing conspiracy theories.

I tapped a finger to my chin. "Maybe he was visited by angels and they cleansed him of his sinful ways."

Jenna and Elena nodded seriously, while Jeremy just glared our way. "He can hear you." Jeremy spat, smiling sarcastically at us. Elena watched him, a little unnerved and beginning to finally realize that it was the compulsion, but I just giggled and decided to go upstairs and listen to some music.

Reality shows were shit.

* * *

I heard Bonnie talking to Elena in her bedroom the next morning. I was already up, earlier then I would've liked, trying to figure out how to get into Carmen's laptop. Or _my_ laptop, whatever. But it was password protected, and I had no idea what the password was.

I was growing more and more frustrated when Bonnie came into my room via the bathroom. "Come on, I have to show you and Elena something." She said with a wide grin, and I had a feeling I knew what it was.

I followed Bonnie to Elena's room, sitting next to my sister on her bed. Bonnie grabbed a pillow and used a pair of scissors to cut a long slit down it. It was a down-filled pillow, and I knew those were expensive.

"Hey." Elena admonished, cranky that her pillow was destroyed. Bonnie just continued grinning as she emptied the feathers onto the bed.

"Be patient."

Elena nodded and smiled tightly. "Okay."

Bonnie sat down in front of Elena, so the three of us sort of made a triangle. "I need to swear you both to secrecy."

"I swear," I said, holding a hand over my heart and smiling cheekily. Bonnie smiled gratefully back at me.

"It's kind of a bad week for that kinda stuff." Elena declared, and I rolled my eyes at her glum attitude.

"Elena, swear." Bonnie urged. Her eyes were wide and full of determination. "I'm not supposed to be showing anyone this."

"Okay," Elena gave in, shrugging. "I swear."

"Okay. There's no windows open, right?" Bonnie's grin returned but her tone was serious.

Elena and I looked at the two windows in the room. "Right."

"There's no fan, no air conditioning."

Elena shook her head and threw her hands up quickly, before plopping them down again. "None. What are you doing?"

"Grams just showed me this. You two are gonna love it." She took a deep breath, but the smile never left her face. "Ready?"

We both nodded; Elena reluctantly, me enthusiastically. Without a word, Bonnie hovered her hand just above the pile of white feathers that sat between us on the bed. She slowly raised her hand, and a feather came with it, floating right underneath her palm. Magic.

Elena watched on with shock, while I stared in awe. It looked so much cooler in real life, rather than bad CGI on TV. Bonnie lowered her hand, and the feather fell back into the pile.

"Bonnie, what's going on?" Elena asked falteringly, brows furrowed.

She didn't reply, instead taking another deep breath. Still smiling, Bonnie raised both her hands this time, and about ten feathers came floating into the air. I knew what her next trick was, and bit my lip with anticipation. Elena let out a surprised laugh.

Bonnie just stared at my sister. Her hands were lowered again so no feathers were floating, and then all at once, over a hundred feathers were dancing around in the air. She had made no hand movements, controlling the delicate objects with her mind alone. It was a truly surreal experience, one that words would not be able to adequately describe.

I pawed at some with my hands like a cat would, while Elena continued with her laughter. Bonnie joined in, scrunching her eyes up as she smiled. This moment was so happy, so pure, that it almost brought tears to my eyes. I was such a sook.

"It's true, Elena." Bonnie said softly. "Everything my grams told me. It's impossible, and it's true. I'm a witch."

Elena was grinning and nodding her head. "I believe you."

"If you didn't believe, I'd be shocked." I joked, giggling when a stray feather tickled my neck. I brushed it away and laughed louder when I saw Elena poke her tongue out at me.

Bonnie let the feathers fall and sighed happily. "It's weird, huh? After all that time joking about being psychic... I really am a witch." Her and Elena laughed. "Neither of you think I'm a freak now, do you?"

I quickly shook my head. "What the hell do you think? I've believed you were a witch since you mentioned it at the start of the school year."

"No, of course not." Elena reassured her friend. "Bonnie, I just- I don't understand though. If your grams asked you to keep this a secret, why did you tell us?"

"You're my best friend, Lena. I can't keep secrets from you." Bonnie explained as if Elena should've known that already. She turned to me. "And I told _you_ because you kept telling me to embrace it and talk to my grams. You've always supported me with this."

Elena nodded, and I grinned. Bonnie's dad called and she had to go home, because apparently he was worried about her having been at her grams for the past week and a bit. After she left, Elena asked if I would go to the boarding house with her. She needed to talk to Stefan, but didn't want to be alone.

I agreed, and waited for her to get ready. I hadn't planned on going anywhere today, so I was dressed completely in black – black turtleneck, black denim skirt, black flats, and even my silver necklace had a black onyx pendant. But I was only going to the boarding house, so my emo style would do.

I drove today, figuring that Elena should take a break to let herself think. But she decided to bombard me with questions and moral comments during the ride.

"Should we tell Bonnie what we know?" Elena asked, her brows furrowed and biting her lip uncertainly. "I feel so bad that she told me she's a witch, because we're _best friends_, but I can't even tell her that my ex is a vampire."

I sighed. "Look. Do you remember when Bonnie was anti-Stefan? That was because her witchy senses were tingling. Witches and vampires are not known for getting along very well, it's built into them. Though, both species can be friends... What I'm trying to say is, now that Bonnie is embracing her powers, it won't be long until she figures out what Stefan and Damon are for herself."

"I know she probably will," Elena replied, glancing sideways at me. I tried to stay focused on the road. "But when she finds out, she'll know that I already know, and she'll be cranky with me."

I laughed. "Yeah, like how you were pissed off at me."

"I'm being serious, Carmen!"

"I know, I know." I rolled my eyes. "When Bonnie learns about everything on her own, just explain to her that it wasn't your place to reveal the Salvatores. Because it isn't. It's not our secret, Elena, it's _theirs_. If you wanna tell Bonnie, go ahead, but you'll have to ask permission from Stefan first."

"I hate that you're right." Elena groaned, and I could hear the frown in her voice.

I pulled into the boarding house's driveway and parked just out the front of the huge building. Elena hesitated when she got out of the car, then marched up the driveway with determination. I strolled along behind, leaning against the brick wall as she rang the doorbell.

"It's open. Come on in." A female voice called from inside. A very familiar female voice.

Elena was immediately hesitant once again, but she pushed the door open anyway. I followed, closing it behind me and finding Lexi walking toward us. Her hair was wet and she only wore a towel, telltale signs of a recent shower. But when Lexi saw Elena, she took a step back and widened her eyes.

"Oh, my God." Lexi frowned at the sight before her. "How-? Uh... Oh- Who?"

My sister was clearly taken aback. She pointed to herself. "I'm Elena, and this is Carmen. Who are you?"

"Lexi." Lexi replied curtly. "A friend of Stefan's."

"Is he here?"

"He's in the shower." The pretty vampire explained, gesturing to upstairs. "Um, do you wanna wait?"

Elena shook her head. "No."

"I'll tell him you stopped by." Lexi smiled awkwardly.

"That's okay. Come on, Carm."

I stared at Lexi, knowing I desperately needed to talk to her. "Go without me, Lena. I'll walk home, or go to the Grill, or something. I just wanna talk to Lexi first."

Elena nodded then escaped from the house, leaving me alone with the other blonde.

"You need to talk to me?" Lexi asked, confused.

I nodded, gesturing to the couches. "Yeah, and it's really important. We should sit down for this." So we did, though Lexi didn't look like she trusted me very much. "Look, I know this is super weird. Yeah, my sister looks like Katherine, but that's because she's a doppelganger. Not important right now though. You're in danger."

Lexi raised her eyebrows at me in amused disbelief. "And how do you know that?"

"I know a lot of things that I shouldn't." I explained vaguely, shrugging. "I can't tell you these things, but you're gonna have to trust me. If you go to the party at the Grill tonight, Damon _will_ kill you. So, without telling Stefan what I'm telling you, you have to suggest making other plans for his birthday."

"What if you're lying?" Lexi shrugged. "You seem like a cool girl, but that's a pretty big accusation you're throwing out there."

I refrained from scowling. "Alexia Branson. The vampire girl who always reforms Stefan after his ripper binges. The girl who slept with Damon, only to be left locked on a rooftop during the day. You. Have. To. Believe. Me."

"You shouldn't know that. At least not all of it." Lexi was shocked, but quickly narrowed her eyes. "Tell me the truth. Who are you and how do you know all of that about me?"

I sighed. "My name is Carmen Gilbert. I'm seventeen, and Elena's twin sister. I'm human. But like I told you, I know far too much. I know things I really shouldn't. And I can't tell you why I know these things, because you, nor anyone else, would actually believe me. But _please_, I'm begging you, stay away from Damon while you're in Mystic Falls."

"Okay." Lexi nodded, then grinned. "While Damon is out partying at the Grill and waiting for Stefan and I to show up, we'll just have our own party here."

"Oh, my God. Thank you." I felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

"Hey, that's okay. I don't trust Damon anyway. He's always up to something." Lexi rolled her eyes.

I laughed. "So are you going to invite Elena and I?"

"Of course, it was basically your idea." Lexi grimaced. "But I don't think Elena likes me."

I waved that idea away. "She thinks you slept with Stefan, because they just broke up recently. But rest assured, she'll like you when she sees how awesome you are."

"Uh-huh." Lexi looked away for a moment, then jumped up from the couch. "Wait here a sec, I have to talk to Stefan."

A few minutes passed, until I heard Lexi again. "Carmen, get your cute butt up here!" She shouted out to me. I grinned and shook my head. Lexi was a ball of sass.

I headed up to Stefan's room and found Lexi now dressed in a sexy black dress with gray ruffles at the bottom and a chunky statement necklace. She dragged me over to the bed where some clothes were spread out. "I like your style, but you can't wear that to our party. So I'm dressing you. We're about the same size, and have the same coloring. It's perfect."

Stefan left the room while I dressed in Lexi's clothes. I wore black leather pants with a very revealing sparkly red top. The top had spaghetti straps, was fitted at the bust, but a slit started right underneath and continued all the way down, exposing my thankfully flat stomach. She lent me a pair of red Mary Janes, though the heel was much higher than my black pair.

Lexi did her makeup dark, and was putting on a plum colored lipstick when Stefan came back in the room.

"You have some serious emotional damage." She stated, checking if her makeup was neat in a compact mirror.

"No, it's not what you think." Stefan denied. He looked at me with worry, so I just rolled my eyes. "She's not Katherine."

"Then they're related because they could be twins." She mused, winking at me. "Sorry Carmen, you and Elena might be similar, but not _that_ similar."

Stefan shook his head and shrugged. "I don't know."

"You don't know? You didn't find out?" Lexi mocked, amazed at his intentional ignorance. She moved so she could sit in front of me, and began doing my makeup.

"No, maybe I don't wanna know." Stefan argued back, getting worked up. "I have no desire to tie Elena to Katherine... Okay, yes, yes, the resemblance is what drew me in, but that's it. Katherine and Elena may look the same on the outside, but on the inside they are completely different."

"Oh, so Elena's not a raging bitch then, huh?" Lexi pulled a face.

"Actually, she is." I tried not to crinkle my eyes by smiling as Lexi brushed eyeshadow on. "But unlike Katherine, Lena actually _tries_ to be nice."

Stefan groaned but smiled. "She is not a raging bitch. No, Elena is... Elena is warm, and she's kind, and she's caring, and she's selfless. And it's real. And honestly, when I'm around her, I completely forget what I am."

"Oh, my God." Lexi murmured. "You're in love with her."

Stefan smiled shyly, and it was actually very endearing. "Yeah. Now I am."

"Wow." Lexi grinned and snapped her compact shut, picking up a crimson red lipstick and painting it along my lips. "Okay, all done. Go look in the mirror."

I hopped off the bed and pushed Stefan out of the way so I could admire Lexi's handiwork. My eyes were smoky, the dark gunmetal gray shadow blending into thick black eyeliner. Rouge made my high cheekbones look amazing, and the red lipstick balanced it all out.

I turned and smirked at the other blonde. "Let's party!"

Glass of brandy in hand, I went downstairs to call Elena while Lexi contacted some of her friends who might've wanted to join in on some last-minute fun. We figured that even with Damon at the Grill, it could still be dangerous for Lexi to stay at the boarding house. But if she had some old friends with her... Well, there wasn't much Damon could do.

Picking up my phone from the couch where I left it, I found 'bitch' in my contacts and hit call. Elena picked up on the second ring. "Why hello there, sister. If you have any plans to attend Caroline's party at the Grill, cancel them. You need to come to the boarding house instead."

Elena sighed. _"Why should I, Carmen? That Lexi girl is there, and Stefan has already moved on from me to her."_

"Lexi and Stefan are just friends, don't jump to conclusions." I admonished with an eye-roll, even though I knew she wouldn't see it. I sipped at my brandy. "Just get over here, or trust me, you'll regret it."

"Fine. I'll be there in five." Elena hung up on me, but I just grinned.

Lexi flitted down the stairs. "Okay. Lucile and Andre will be here soon, while Alexander said he will be late. Jaclyn told me she'd try to come, but Ilsa, Stacia and Theo can't make it."

"Four out of seven isn't too bad at such late notice." I laughed, shrugging one shoulder. "And with me, you, Stefan and Elena, we've got ourselves a fairly decent gathering."

Lexi grinned, but Stefan walked towards me with his brows furrowed in concern. "Carmen, do you ingest or wear any vervain?"

Oh no, if I said no and Damon found out, then he'd be all suspicious and confront me again. But if I said yes to Stefan, than he'd be wondering where I got my vervain... I needed to use the John lie again.

"I know that Zach grew some here, but John had a few plants of his own." I shrugged. "He gave me some to ingest if I knew there were vampires around, and some to wear but I don't have a locket for any. It's still in my system, though."

"Here, please wear this. Even if it's only for the night." Stefan handed me a black velvet choker with a silver heart-shaped locket hanging from it. I put it on, the pendant resting in the hollow of my throat, and the skin tingling strangely where it touched the metal. "With so many strange vampires around, I can't take any chances that the vervain has left your system."

I grinned. "Thanks, Stefan. You're lucky it goes perfectly with my outfit." He nodded, and then there was a knock on the door. "That should be Elena."

I skipped over to open the door, and sure enough, there was my twin. Dressed in a boring sweater, plain denim skirt and tights. "_Elena_, this is a party! Why are you dressed so casual?"

"I didn't feel like dressing up." Elena sighed, then noticed Stefan who came to stand beside me. "Um, hey."

"Lexi said that you came by and you seemed upset." Stefan stated, sounding troubled.

"Right." Elena nodded once. "The girl in the towel."

"The towel?"

"Mm-hm."

Stefan realized what the conclusions she must've jumped to were. "Oh, no, no. No, no, no. Not like that, no. She's not exactly a girl. Lexi's, um... She's 350 years old." He smiled.

Realization dawned on Elena. "You mean she's a-?"

"Vampire, yes." Lexi said, waltzing over with a sly grin on her face.

"And she's my oldest friend." Stefan added. "Nothing romantic. Ever."

"Told you so," I winked at Elena, unable to help myself.

Elena shot me a stern glance before turning back to Stefan and nodding to let him know she understood. She turned to Lexi. "Oh. Okay, well, you kept staring at me. It was weird."

I moved to the side so Elena could walk further into the house, and we all sat around on the couches near the lit fireplace.

Stefan nodded and shrugged. "Well, you know, I've talked about you."

"A lot." Lexi added, smirking devilishly. "It was just strange putting a face to the girl I've heard so much about." Elena seemed to be pleased with that answer.

"So, why'd you come by?" Stefan wondered, smiling a little.

"I, uh..." Elena shook her head and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "It was a mistake. Like being here now."

She got up and walked away, wanting some privacy, but Stefan followed anyway. I grimaced at Lexi, but she just smiled and held up a bottle of tequila.

"Shots?" She asked.

I laughed. "Shots it is."

I quickly sliced up a lime in the kitchen and put the pieces on a plate with a pile of salt. We did four shots each, but just as Lexi went to chop another lime up, the doorbell rang. She flitted over and answered it, two vampires grinning back at her.

"Lexi!" The boy and girl couple greeted the blonde, pulling her in for a big hug.

"Lucile, Andre, I'm so glad you're here!" Lexi beamed at them, pulling her friends inside. "Come on, I was just having tequila shots with Carmen."

I smiled and waved at the newcomers, then sipped my unfinished brandy from earlier. Lucile had inky black hair framing her porcelain face, her features petite, just like the rest of her body. Andre was tall and built like a wrestler, or a lumberjack, but he was very handsome with long and wavy chestnut hair and a dimple in his strong chin.

"We should skip the lime and salt this time." I suggested with what I hoped was a mischievous twinkle in my eyes. "And let's get straight down to business."

Lucile grinned and grabbed a shot. "Oh, I like you." She handed a shot to Andre and they downed them together.

Lexi grabbed three at once. "I'm gonna go make Stefan and Elena have fun." Lexi paused, frowning, then turned to her friends. "Um, Elena is Stefan's new love interest, and she looks disturbingly similar to Katherine... So, uh, don't bring it up. Please."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Andre said. His voice was incredibly deep, and when he laughed there was a low reverberation through the room.

I picked up a shot for myself and stood. "Hey, I'll go with you. Elena isn't in the best mood right now."

"Okay." Lexi shrugged, and we made our way upstairs. Elena was standing alone in the hall outside Stefan's room, not really paying attention to anything. "Ah. The famous Elena."

"Towel girl." Elena said icily, so I shot her a warning glare to be nice.

Lexi thought about that for a moment. "I've been called worse. Here."

She handed Elena one of the shots. Lexi spotted an antique wooden table a few feet away, and put down Stefan's shot next to the lamp that sat there.

"I didn't know that you guys could drink." Elena declared, a little confused.

Lexi's eyes widened. "Oh, yeah. It helps curb the cravings. But makes for a lot of lushy vamps." She raised her shot and I took mine at the same time she did.

"You know, I've never seen Stefan drunk." My sister mused. "He always seems so-"

"Uptight?"

Elena nodded. "Yeah..." She paused, her eyes narrowing. "But not with you."

"Well, that's the benefit of knowing someone for over a hundred years." Lexi shrugged, smiling casually. "You can just be yourself."

"Yeah, he can't be himself with me." Elena shook her head sadly, and I groaned.

"Have you ever thought that it might be due to the fact that not only do you constantly judge him, but you've been pushing him away?" I questioned her, not kindly either. I was starting to get fed up with Elena's 'I'm the victim' attitude.

Lexi grimaced. "Well, he can't be himself with you yet. The first step was him telling you. The rest comes with time."

Elena stopped glaring at me to frown at Lexi. "You seem so sure."

"The love of my life was human." The blonde vampire confessed, smiling lightly. "He went through what I imagine you're going through. Denial, anger, et cetera. But at the end of the day, love really did conquer all." Her smile turned into a smirk, and she pointed to Elena's shot. "Are you gonna drink that?"

"Oh, uh, go for it." Elena grimaced, handing the tequila over. Lexi grinned and tossed it back, and I drank Stefan's before she could get to it. "I'm scared."

We both looked at my sister, but Lexi was the one to answer. "But you're here. Because you're crazy about him. I get it, okay? I mean, what's not to love? Listen, take it from someone who has been around a long time. When it's real, you can't walk away."

The two girls grinned at each other, and I rolled my eyes. Leave it to Lexi to change Elena's mood from one extreme to another. We began to walk towards the stairs, but Elena stopped us.

"Hey, Lexi." She said, gaining the blondes attention. "It was really nice meeting you."

In reply, Lexi just wiggled her eyebrows and smirked, taking my hand and leading me back downstairs. Elena needed some alone time with Stefan for now. Back in the main room, there was another addition to the vampire couple: a very tall and very handsome man with white blonde hair and forest green eyes.

Holy fucking wow, why wasn't _he_ in the show?

"Alex?" Lexi wondered out loud, flitting over to the beautiful man. She grinned and slapped his arm playfully. "I wasn't expecting you until later."

He raised his eyebrows and winked. "Yes, I do appear to have arrived earlier than planned." He looked over to me and smiled slowly. "Who's your cute little friend? She looks absolutely delicious."

Right back at you. "I'm Carmen." Alex appeared in front of me, taking my hand and kissing the palm. "It's lovely to meet you."

"Very much so." Alexander smirked, and I could feel myself melting at his beauty and charm. Damn, this guy was dangerous.

Lexi rolled her eyes. "No eating the human girl, she's got vervain."

Alex raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, so I just smirked.

"But that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun."

After Lucile made margaritas for all of us, we rocked out to Bon Jovi in celebration of the fact that Lexi was seeing the band next weekend in New York. Stefan and Elena joined us, both of them happy and with an apparently mended relationship. I was glad for them, and I was also glad I was growing more intoxicated by the minute.

The party didn't end until the early hours of the morning. Elena didn't have anything to drink because she was driving, but she passed out in Stefan's room anyway, not wanting to leave without me. I alternated between dancing with Lucile and the red-haired Jaclyn who arrived later, and making out with Alex.

The beautiful blonde man was a little over 400 years old, and I could tell he had spent all that time kissing because his lips were absolutely heavenly against mine. I probably would've slept with him too, if Lexi hadn't have separated us, claiming she needed to touch up my makeup.

When we were alone, she explained that Alex tended to feed from the humans he slept with, and reminded me that I was only _wearing_ vervain, and there might've been a chance it was no longer in my bloodstream. Only, she didn't know that I'd never ingested vervain before. I could easily be a vampires snack.

Thankful for her concern, I was still very drunk but also a bit more cautious as I returned to the others. I continued dancing and drinking, not worrying about the hangover I was sure to have tomorrow.

Damon returned sometime during the night, glaring at Lexi and muttering about how annoying it was to have to turn some innocent victim into a vampire he could frame for his actions. Jaclyn had taken an immediate liking to Damon despite his foul mood, and the two disappeared to his bedroom.

And a sudden understanding hit me like a freight train.

I had saved Lexi from her early demise. Or maybe not so early, considering how old she was, but that didn't matter. She should never have died in the show, and by warning her, I had literally _saved her life_.

Warmth bubbled up inside me, and I felt better than I ever had before, in any life.

* * *

**Lexi lives! There was no way in hell I was going to let Lexi die in the fic, and neither was Carmen ;)**

**She won't stick around for long, but I might give her cameo appearances in season 2 and 3 of the fic.**

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**Review Replies:**

**Guest: **_Thank you for your input! I almost considered using Katherine instead of Jenna, but when you mentioned another OC I came up with a good idea :) I'm pleased to hear you are!_

**I'll Send Postcards: **_Omg you actually made my whole week by saying that. I've been doubting my writing a lot lately, but you've just boosted my confidence to new heights! I can't wait either, and I really hope you'll enjoy them. Yeah, there'll be eventual Elena bashing, so I might have to put a warning somewhere. In this chapter you see more of Carmen's annoyance come back, and it's only going to grow. I don't understand either, especially with the whole Kol thing. Elena hates the Mikaelsons because they 'hurt' her family, while the Salvatores actually _killed_ Finn, and she helped her brother _kill_ Kol. Not to mention all the times they daggered Elijah and Rebekah._

_I personally think the Gilberts/Salvatores are worse than the Originals. Sure, Klaus killed Jenna and technically Elena, but I feel like he made up for it with all the times he gave his blood to cure werewolf/hybrid bites. Don't worry, feel free to rage about Elena as much as you want! __And as for Kol's death, a little after the Mikaelson's ball, this fic will go a bit AU and stop following the storyline. So no Kol death (but maybe Finn death, I'm not sure)._

_I'm so glad you like her! I was worried people might find she's a little hypocritical because she hates bitchy people and yet she's bitchy to them right back, but I guess that's just a normal character flaw that makes her a little more realistic. I wanted Carmen to be extremely beautiful, but not at all perfect! And I'm really glad you think so :) Like in this chapter, Carmen is making changes. Sometimes she changes stuff unintentionally just with her presence, so she tries to make it canon again (like how she made Damon get with Caroline). And there will be times that she'll get drawn into stuff that she tries to avoid at all costs. Ok, I gotta stop giving so much away!_

_Thank you for such a long review (I love the wordy ones, tbh), and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!_

**Lucy Greenhill**: _Thank you, and I hope you enjoyed this one!_

**Jamie Annie Carter: **_Thank you! And neither am I really... There's very few season 1 episodes I actually enjoy. But I added a few little twists in this season of the fic to spice it up, and I hope you like it until season 2 gets here :)_

**Mari Wollsch: **_Thank you so much! I'm glad you like it :)_

**Allie: **_Yeah, I felt a little bit sad while writing it. I wasn't a big fan of Vicki and kinda didn't care when she died, but Jeremy's reaction hit me hard. I know what it's like to lose a friend, and before being compelled, his reaction was really accurate. And you'll find out the answer to that when John comes to town! He has lots of the answers that Carmen's been dying to know. But, a small teaser for you - there are other little things that make her different to other humans, not just the immunity to compulsion. I love plot twists! I love teasing people with the knowledge of future plot twists! Does that make me a horrible person? I don't know and I don't care ;) ;)_

_Elena is very annoying, you can say it all you want! Like I mentioned in another reply, Carmen is getting more annoyed with Elena's pushy attitude. Their relationship will continue on as it has for a little longer, but it will go downhill sooner or later._

_Yeah, Carmen likes to make the most out of any situation. She felt a tiny bit homesick last chapter during her birthday, but I think for the most part she's enjoying being in Mystic Falls despite all the drama. And I'm so glad you think so. To make her reactions and whatnot more believable, I try to make her react the way I would, while still keeping her in character :)_

_And I can't choose between them either, which is why I want to maybe have a vote in the future. When Carmen eventually chooses between the brothers, I have her reason for choosing whichever one it is (3 reasons for 3 brothers). So whoever gets the most feedback/support/votes will be the brother she chooses. And omg, I love Death Note too! I've actually cosplayed as Misa, and had to make Jane and Ben go as her and Light :)_

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**To everyone who reads this story - I don't care who you are, I love you anyway.**


	9. Family Sucks

**A fair bit of stuff happens in this chapter. There's the arrival of Alaric to town, some Bonnie drama, a little insight in to what the real Carmen was like (it's not much, but it's there), and... wait for it...**

**My first major plot twist!**

**I really hope you enjoy this chapter, even if it does start off a little boring.**

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**Chapter 9: Family Sucks**

School again, the epitome of my new existence... minus the whole vampires being real thing. At least Elena's hair was slightly wavy today and not stick-straight like usual. It made her look a hundred times better, and somehow healthier too.

But yeah, school. I had history first period, and as we'd had a substitute teacher the past month or so since Mr Tanner's death, I was wondering when the hell Alaric was going to arrive. As it turns out, I didn't have to wait for him any longer. Bonnie came racing into the room, looking utterly freaked out, and Ric waltz in right after.

"Good morning, everyone." He said, turning to the chalkboard. "Alrighty. Let's see." He picked up some chalk and wrote his full name on the board. "Alaric Saltzman. It's a mouthful, I know. It doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Saltzman is of German origins. My family immigrated here in 1755 to Texas. I, however, was born and raised in Boston.

"Now, the name Alaric belong to a very dead great-grandfather I will never be able to thank enough. You'll probably want to pronounce it Ala-ric, but it's A-lah-ric, okay? So you can call me Ric. I'm your new history teacher."

Wow, he sure did make an introduction. And I gotta say, Ric's short hair he currently sported looked more like a history teacher, and not so much a vampire hunter. But no matter whether his hair was short or long in the future, he was far more handsome in real life than on TV.

The rest of the school day was slow, though I did have far too much fun explaining the party Lexi threw for Stefan's birthday to my friends. Karen was by far the most enthusiastic when I was describing Alex to everyone, and she practically swooned when I informed them of how amazing his kisses were, while the guys just gagged.

I had driven to school with Elena, though she denied a lift home in favor of going with Bonnie. I arrived back at our house before her, and decided to start on another of the random books I found in my room – _Picnic at Hanging Rock_. I wasn't behind in any homework, and had always found pleasure in reading. In fact, I planned to purchase a few more modern novels to add to the collection of old classics.

I was a few chapters in when Elena knocked on my door, but she didn't barge straight in like usual.

"Come in," I said absently, trying to finish the sentence I was on before further interruption.

"Hey," Elena said, smiling cheekily. "I invited Bonnie and Caroline over for a girly sleepover, and wondered if you wanted to join us? We'll being giving each other makeovers and manicures, plus eating food with far too many calories. It'll be fun."

I grinned, instantly shoving an old receipt into my book to mark the page I was up to. "Count me in, sis."

Elena pulled me out of bed and downstairs, to where Bonnie was in the kitchen. They'd taken so long to get home because they'd had to stop at Bonnie's house for her to get things or the night, and then at a convenience store to buy some snacks. Caroline arrived a minute later, though her and Bon were being far too awkward around each other.

My sister gave Caroline a stern glare, causing the blonde to sigh.

"I'm sorry. There, I said it." Caroline stated to Bonnie, her tone stiff and not sorry at all. "If you want the ugly-ass necklace, keep it. It's yours."

"Will you hate me if I tell you I threw it away?" Bonnie narrowed her eyes nervously and grimaced.

Caroline was furious. "You _threw it away_?!"

"I know it sounds crazy, but the necklace was giving me nightmares." Bonnie explained in her most reasoning tone. "I had to get rid of it."

"You could have given it back to _me_."

"Why? So you could give it back to Damon?" Elena scoffed at Caroline, before smiling playfully to show she was joking.

Caroline sighed. "Screw Damon. Are we doing manicures or what? Who has their kit?"

"Mine's in my bag." Bonnie shrugged.

Smiling, Care trotted over to the table and started rummaging through Bonnie's bag. "So, Elena, how long do you think this fight with Stefan's gonna last? Is it like a permanent thing?"

I rolled my eyes while Elena ate a chip and sighed. "I don't know, Caroline."

When none of us heard Caroline reply straight away, I knew exactly what was gonna happen next. Damn witch necklace, it ruins friendships.

"Why are you such a little liar, Bonnie?" Care demanded, turning around to face us.

"What?"

"_Caroline_!"

The blonde held up the aforementioned witch necklace: a huge amber stone set in a bronze pendant hanging from a thick bronze chain. While I wouldn't call it ugly and did think it was a lovely necklace, I definitely wouldn't wear it either. The piece of jewelry was more something I'd hang up by a window to catch the sunshine.

That's when the argument started, with Bonnie insisting she really threw the necklace away, Elena backing up that claim because she was there, and Caroline not believing a single word. The vapid girl wouldn't ever believe anything supernatural being real, no matter how much evidence was shoved in her face, until she was turned into a vampires later on in the series.

"Okay, I'm not joining this oh so pleasant conversation." I said to the other three girls, though I doubt they paid me any attention, so I just rolled my eyes. "Whatever, I'll be in my room."

I knew that Caroline would suggest a séance, and as interestingly creepy one of those would be to not only witness but also participate in, I was not in the mood for some Emily Bennett witch drama. But even then, I could hear shutters and doors banging a little while later, followed by more arguments and some screaming from the bathroom attached to _my_ room.

After the screaming died down, I popped some headphones on and listened to the small range of music on my phone. Elena barged in to my room, but I just shook my head at her. "Nope, I'm not getting involved with any supernatural drama tonight. Leave me out of it." She left without a word, thank God.

A little while later, after I checked that Elena wasn't home, I headed to the kitchen for some dinner I didn't get earlier. Jeremy was at the table doing homework, while Jenna got home with Alaric as her escort. They were playfully discussing who was more pathetic in their own strange way of flirting. It was cute, really.

I watched, intrigued, as Jenna turned away and Ric looked at the doorway the same way an uninvited vampire would – as if he wasn't sure he could get in. Which was stupid, because he was a vampire _hunter_, not a vampire. Jenna turned back and must've seen how awkward he looked there. "You know what? I'm not gonna invited you in."

She glanced back at Jeremy and I, then so did Ric. "Well, some other time then." Alaric shrugged. "Have a good night, Jenna."

After closing the front door and stripping off her jacket, Jenna came over to us with a grin on her a face and a spring in her step. "Oh, uh, you found the boxes." She stated to Jeremy, trying to make conversation.

"And I found this too." Jeremy's grin was almost evil as he showed our aunt a picture.

She grimaced. "Me and Logan. That's just cruel." Se snatched the photo out of his hand.

Jeremy shook his head but didn't lose the grin. "No, cruel is dating my history teacher."

"Not to mention mine and Elena's as well." I added, smirking lightly. "But don't worry, Aunt Jenna. He's cute."

"I'm not dating him." Jenna insisted anyway. She paused and winked at us. "Yet."

Jeremy laughed as she flounced away, and I finished off the last of the fast food that Caroline had brought over for us girls but then left behind. Jeremy was fiddling with one of Jonathon Gilbert's journals when I received a text.

Bitch: _Damon attacked Bonnie tonight. Stefan gave her some of his blood & she's ok now but I have to tell her the truth. I need your help Carm._

I sighed, wondering if what I told Elena before was something I should stick too. I really wasn't interested in the current drama, but Bonnie was really starting to become a good friend of mine, and I wanted to help her understand everything. I thumbed in a reply.

_Sure_,_ I'll help when you two get here._

So I did. Elena and I did the best we could to explain the existence of vampires in the world, and that not just witches and the ghost of her ancestor were real. I also explained why exactly neither of us couldn't tell her any sooner: not that 'so you'd be protected' speech Elena would always give everyone in the future, but the truth. It wasn't our secret to reveal to whomever tickled our fancy.

Bonnie believed us, though she was thoroughly freaked out and mildly traumatized about her attack. I left the two girls alone when Elena moved on to explain that Stefan broke up with her to protect her. It was all starting to sound way too much like Twilight.

* * *

I had just finished getting ready for school and headed downstairs for one last coffee, when Elena came sprinting down them soon after.

"Jeremy's got his sketch pad out." Elena declared in a hushed tone to Aunt Jenna and I.

Jenna paused and smiled. "You're kidding."

"Nope," Elena raised her eyebrows. "But don't say a word. The minute we encourage him, he'll put it away."

Jenna's smile turned into a grin. "Psychology major. Check that." We both noticed the way Elena frowned at her phone. "And you and Stefan? Update?"

"Yeah, is he still being a sanctimonious know-it-all?" I added, not being able to keep myself from (mildly) insulting Stefan to Elena. While watching the show, I liked him best with his humanity off. I sipped at the coffee I'd made during the conversation.

Elena took a deep breath as she fiddled with her purse. "He knows how I feel and where I stand. And I know where he stands, but it doesn't matter. He's leaving, moving away."

"Where's he going?" Jenna demanded, sounding almost worried.

"I've stopped asking questions." Elena replied, opening the door for Jenna and I. My coffee was in a lidded thermos mug, so I could take it to school with me. I was a genius, really.

"Oh." Jenna grimaced to my sister. Her shoulders were slumped as we walked down the porch steps. "Yours leaves, mine returns."

"Logan?" Elena and I demanded at the same time. Elena was confused, but I was angry. I knew at some point Logan would return as an uncontrollable vampire, but I forgot that he'd try to visit Jenna. My memories of him during his vampire phase were of a warehouse filled with his victims' rotting bodies, shooting Damon with wooden bullets, and of kidnapping Caroline during one of the many town events.

Yeah, not too much.

"He's back." Jenna sang, her tone anything but merry. It was like the life was sucked out of her just at the mention of him.

Elena pulled a face. "Ugh."

"Ugh is correct." I scrunched up my eyes and poked my tongue out like a child who just ate a slice of lemon for the first time. "That scummy mouse isn't coming anywhere near our house, okay Jenna? It's an anti Logan Fell zone."

"I didn't let him pass the front door." Jenna insisted, and I grinned at her.

"Good!"

"I hope you slammed it in his face." Elena added.

Jenna smiled nervously. "Ah, medium slam."

"Three-strike rule, Jenna." Elena turned to our aunt seriously, though her eyes remained cheerful. "You're not even allowed to watch the news."

"Exactly." My aunt grinned. "No more Logan 'Scum' Fell."

Elena decided to drive today, and we immediately split up when we arrived at school. I went straight to my locker, and Dana was already at her's beside mine, the rest of our friends standing close together and staring in shock at something down the hall.

I followed their gaze to see Caroline and Matt standing close and laughing together. So, _this_ relationship of her's was starting then. I gotta say, I did prefer her and Tyler, but whatever. It wasn't going to last anyway. The numerous posters declaring it was 'Career Night' or something caught my attention more than anything.

Oh, my God. If I was staying in this world permanently, would I have to decided on a college and a career? I didn't plan on attending university in my old life, and as fun as American college looked in movies, I doubted it was all play and no work in real life.

And as for a job? I was fucking clueless.

* * *

Fast-forward through all my classes, by the end of the day the school was set up as a mini-expo type thing with endless stalls set up. Each one had a display on a different career, most with a spokesperson from each profession. I was immediately drawn to the more creative professions – acting, writing, that kinda stuff.

"_Dana..._" I complained to my friend, who was walking over to me from the Broadcast Journalism booth. She'd be a good reporter. "I'm _seventeen_, why am I supposed to choose a career right now when I can hardly decided what to wear in the morning?"

Dana laughed, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, you were never one for conventional choices either." Her grin was so wide it almost scared me. "I remember when we were in elementary school, I said I wanted to be weather girl, and you said you wanted to be a vampire."

She erupted into giggles, so it was my turn to roll my eyes. If only Dana knew just how easy it actually was to become a vampire in this world.

Elena had gone over to the boarding house to patch things up with Stefan the night before, and seeing she wasn't at school the next day without contacting anyone, I assumed she'd found the pic of Katherine. After finding the pic she'd driven off in tears, hit a man who appeared out of nowhere and rolled her car, before Damon came to save the day.

Now they were in Georgia, getting drunk at Bree's Bar, with Bree herself. Damn it, I'd really wanted to go. Getting day drunk was fun, and spending time with Damon was fun, so the two combined would be mega-fun.

Knowing all the fun I was missing out on basically sucked ass.

Dana and Karen could sense my mellow mood throughout the day, so they basically dragged me to the Grill after career exhibit thing for burgers and maybe a game of pool or two. Chad met us there a little later, but Jane and Ben were on yet another date. They'd been talking nonstop about seeing some movie all through the day.

I noticed Jeremy playing foosball with none other than Anna, and I had to suppress a groan. I didn't hate Anna, but she played around with Jeremy too much before she actually started to like him. Besides, I shipped him with Bonnie.

I was shipping real-life people now. Weird.

My night turned pretty good in the end. My friends unknowingly did a great job at distracting me from the drama I actually _did_ want to be a part of, and gave my gloomy emotions the lift they needed.

Until I got home. That's when I received a text.

Bitch: _Carm I need you to get to the boarding house ASAP! Stefan has something he needs to tell me, but won't spill until you get here. Please!_

Sighing, I asked Jenna to lend her car and she fortunately agreed. I thanked her endlessly before I left, before speeding away and sprinting up to the front door when I'd parked haphazardly in the boarding house driveway.

I almost stopped to ring the doorbell, but decided last second not to, and just barged on in instead. I found Elena and Stefan in his room, and my sister instantly threw herself into my arms.

"She looks like me!" She sobbed in my ear, squeezing me so tight it hurt. "Katherine looks like me! And Stefan saved me from the crash that killed our parents. But _she_ looks like me and I wanna know why."

Even though I knew the answer, I glared at Stefan. "Well, Stefan? Why does my sister look like Katherine?" I extricated myself from Elena's arms and she turned to watch Stefan as he answered.

"It didn't make any sense to me." He frowned. "You, Elena, were a Gilbert, she was a Pierce. But the resemblance was too similar. And then I learned the truth. You were adopted, Elena."

I frowned right back at him. "Um, don't you mean '_we_' were adopted? I'm Elena's twin, if you haven't forgotten."

"I'm sorry, Carmen. But I mean _only_ Elena."

Elena looked like she was about to pass out, and not feeling so great myself, we sat down on a leather couch. Stefan sat on the other side of Elena while we contemplated the news. I'd appeared in this world thinking I was Elena's sister, soon to find out that I was her twin. That was weird enough and took a little while to accept, but now I'm apparently not her twin? It didn't make any sense.

"How do you know this?" Elena asked, breaking the silence that had descended upon us.

Stefan clasped his hands together. "Your birth certificate from the city records. It says 'Elena Gilbert, Mystic Falls General'. But there was no record of your mother ever being admitted the day you were born. There _was_ a record that said she gave birth a week before the date on both of your birth certificates, but to only one baby."

"Me," I whispered. Tears were stinging in my eyes, and I tried to blink them away. Stefan nodded.

Elena was shaking her head, not in denial, but as if the motion would make it easier to process the information. "What else do you know?"

"For me to go any further I would've had to look into the Pierce family." Stefan explained sadly. "And I couldn't do that. That's too much of a risk. If someone found out I was asking about Katherine-" He stopped to grab Elena's hands earnestly. "Listen to me, it doesn't matter. You are the woman that I love. I love you."

I turned away as they kissed, not because it grossed me out but because they deserved at least a little privacy. They hugged for a little while, until Elena removed herself from Stefan's embrace to pull me into one of her own. We stayed there for a little while longer, before deciding it was definitely time to go home.

We arrived a little before sunset, the day somehow having slowed down the past hour or so. Elena headed inside before me, and Jenna was instantly alert.

"I don't set a lot of rules, Elena. Not with you." Our aunt chastised, jumping up from the couch and marching towards us. Her gaze softened as she saw me, but hardened when she focused on Elena again. "I trust you to tell me the truth. Where were you? And why did you lie to me about it? I thought we were closer than that?"

Elena glared at her. "Now is not the time to talk to me, or either of us, about lies."

"She's right, Jenna." I shrugged then frowned.

"Don't do that. Don't turn this back on me." Jenna was furious, but she wouldn't be for much longer. "I didn't do anything."

Elena stopped and glared at her. "Okay, question. Am I adopted?"

"And am I not adopted?" I added, just to prove how much we actually knew.

Jenna was shocked, and I could see her visibly swallow with nervousness.

"We trust you to tell us the truth too, Jenna." Elena stated, venom lacing her words. "How could you not tell us? I thought we were closer than that."

I felt myself tearing up again, as sad as Elena was angry. "We believed we were _twins_ for fuck's sake." She grabbed my arm roughly and dragged me up the stairs with her.

"I, I didn't- They asked me not to." Jenna called up to us.

Elena just shook her head crankily. "I don't wanna hear it!"

My not-so-sister pulled me into another hug, before escaping into her room with a slam of the door. I wiped a stray tear from my cheek and went to my room as well, slumping to the ground next to my bed.

I had let myself grow so emotionally attached to Carmen's life in the few months I'd been in her body. Not only had I really started to _become_ her, but I had started to love the Gilbert's as if they were actually my family, not just the family of the body I was possessing. I had accepted the fact I was Elena's twin, that I was also adopted, that Isobel and John were my real parents, and that I was descended from Katherine.

So it genuinely hurt to learn that no, I was _not_ Elena's twin, or sister in general at all. I was her cousin. I held my face in my hands as sobs shook my body, the information not something I'd ever have imagined was true. But I held on to the piece of knowledge that Jeremy was my real brother, and Jenna was my real aunt.

And Elena may not think we're related at all right then, but she would in future. I couldn't spoil it for her just yet, though. No, I couldn't let anyone know what I did, no matter how little. And this wasn't something I could hide in a joke or behind a layer of sarcasm. There was no way around it with this.

* * *

**Carmen and Elena aren't twins after all!**

**I had never intended to make them twins in the first place, and just sisters instead. But I didn't want Carmen to be younger than Elena. I contemplated making her an eighteen-year-old senior, but decided I really wanted her best friend to be Dana, who was a junior like Elena. Plus, it's easier for plot to make her a junior.**

**So, I made them fake twins! And in case Stefan's brief explanation confused you, I'll extend it here:**

_Miranda was pregnant with her first child (Carmen) while 16-year-old Isobel was pregnant with Elena. During the pregnancies, John and Isobel explained that because they were teenagers, they couldn't keep the baby. Miranda and Grayson were in their early twenties, but decided to forge a birth certificate when Elena was born and claim she was theirs, raising the two girls as twins. Isobel had fallen pregnant a month before Miranda, but Carmen was born prematurely. They didn't get a birth certificate for her until Elena was born a week later, and they forged two certificates for the babies claiming both were born the day Elena was._

**And for anyone wondering why Carmen is blonde despite her parents and brother all being brunette, she gets it from her father's side. Seeing as John is her paternal uncle and blonde, she would've gotten her fair hair from her paternal grandparents. She gets some other features from her mother's side, which is why she also has some similarities to Jenna.**

**I really do hope you enjoyed this, and please give any thoughts you may have, whether they be good or bad!**

* * *

**Review Replies:**

**Guest: **_I'm glad you do, and I will!_

**lostfeather1: **_I'm glad you think she does, and I can't wait to write it! I don't want to make the Original boys go OOC for Carmen because that would make her a bit of a Mary Sue, but I will have fun playing around with their feelings for her. And I honestly don't know how to answer that questions without it being a spoiler! Carmen learns that there is only 1 way to permanently stay in her new body, and it has to do with vampirism. But does she accept it? Dun, dun, dun! More teasers!_

**Lucy Greenhill: **_Thank you, and of course I had to save her!_

**Jana: **_Wow, thank you for all the reviews! Yeah, I wanted her to have different friends, but be able to join in on Elena's gang whenever she wanted. A balance is good sometimes. I'm really glad you think each one is more interesting! I'm trying so hard to avoid fillers and boring chapters. Because Elijah is the first Original to appear, they'll definitely get more bonding time ;)_

**Allie: **_I was so upset about Lexi too. If they were going to kill her off no matter what, they should've given her more screen time. Especially because she appears in later seasons as a ghost. It would've been cool to know more of her history. Yeah, I want her to pop up from time to time, and when this story goes a but AU, she'll be in it even more. __To be honest, Carmen isn't going to see much of Katherine at all. You'll see why when I eventually start writing season 2. But I do think they'd make a good pair too!_

_Are you serious? I'm so proud to be a writer right now! It makes me so unbelievably happy to know that you like my story that much. And please no choking, you can just leave that to the vampires ;) But omg, I love you. Seriously, that last part is making me all warm and fuzzy. Thank you!_

**I'll Send Postcards:** _I'm glad you thought it was! Don't worry, I always read fanfics on my phone and can't review straight away. And yeah, a long one does make up for it ;) And reading in the middle of the night? You need to indulge yourself more often! Also, happy birthday! You flatter me way to much... I bet Kol would love you! But long reviews are good! I like knowing every thought someone has on my story and writing, just so I know what to keep and what to change. Please keep it up!_

_Yeah, they're all very hypocritical and self-righteous. I sometimes wonder if the writers do that on purpose? Because it certainly doesn't endear the viewer to them at all. And Kol is living no matter what. His death made me far too sad to keep. And seriously? A few people have said that Carmen is one of their favourite OCs, and right now I'm really proud of her (because she basically writes herself, I do almost no thinking)._

_Spoilers and teasers are my life. Admittedly, I have yet to see TVD season 5 or TO, but I know far too much about each. Especially about TO, oops. And I find that Carmen and Lexi have quite similar personalities, so they're both going to stay very good friends. And I think I'll make a poll once Kol has been introduced and interacted with Carmen a bit, just to let people see how they interact together compared to her and Elijah or Klaus._

_Really? I'm glad you have! I actually started writing Doppelganger blues before this fic, and had to post what I had of it. But I'm pleased to hear you liked it as well, and I hope you'll enjoy any of the other fics I'll post in the future :) And that's fine, I enjoyed reading your review despite any rambling ;) And that's okay as well, don't force yourself! I will, and thank you :)_

**Jamie Annie Carter**: _Your reaction is the best! And yep, I didn't have the heart to kill her._

**RebeliousOne****:** _Oh my, so many reviews, thank you! I'm glad you like her friends :) And I have it planned out now that she won't use Caroline, I promise! And season 1 will end at about chapter 15, so not TOO long away. I loved it too, Damon is just so mean to Stefan, and I love it! And you'll see that I used the John excuse too. She'll learn all about her time with John over the summer when he comes to town. And let me tell you, it's a BIG plot twist. I've also figured out a way for her to explain how she knows things, but it won't be until after Klaus arrives (but before the ritual). But yeah, Stefan will definitely bring her up on it, and she has another little excuse in the meantime._

_I think she's going to ignore it for now as a plot device. Just like Klaus using body possession only twice in the show, and Esther once. Elijah says it's his 'trick', but technically any vampire can do it because the witches are the ones with the magic. Yeah, I didn't want to follow the canon, but at the same time not change it just yet, so it's perfect opportunity for her to hang with her friends or do something herself._

_I'm really glad all my feedback from saving Lexi is positive. But I guess it's because she's a great character and the lack of her death doesn't really stray from the canon storyline. And her future presence won't change anything really. In season 2 she'll be moral/emotional support, while season 3 she'll do the same stuff but not as a ghost. And Carmen is basically going to explain EVERYTHING about the ritual to them, and give them their 3 options for saving Elena. Of course, she's not going to tell them that the spell John knows will kill him. She wants him to tell them if he wants to._

_And without it being too much of a spoiler, she tells Elijah that everything Klaus tells him is the truth, but with double meanings. I don't want to give too much away! And though Carmen doesn't like Tyler, she hates Jules and loves Caroline, so she begs for them to be saved. But she also is a little sneaky with the replacements. It annoyed me as well that Damon only saved them to postpone the ritual._

**Alu Riversong:** _I think I need to start a Carmen fanclub ;) Let me just say now, some characters other than the Originals also think they love Carmen, but it doesn't end well... Oh God, I could never have a shy or quiet OC. Even if they were depressed, I'd still make them at least a little sassy or bitchy. I wish I would skip to the Originals part too! But season 1 is unfortunately important for Cassie/Carmen as it explains a LOT that other seasons can't._

_And I have a lot planned out for her relationships... It's more Elijah and Klaus fighting over her, and while they're distracted, Kol swoops in to woo her ;) And I yelled at the TV when they did, it was one of the reasons the show really started pissing me off. Season 4 was not a good season!_

_Can I meet you in real life just so we can have really long conversations about Klaus? Because when I start, I can hardly stop. I admit, I love him an Elijah equally, but for totally different reasons. But I find that most people love Klaus, then Elijah second, and Kol last. In fact, I rarely find many good Kol/OC fanfics (if anyone knows any, PM me the title/author please). I think Klaus would need someone who can enhance him, but also keep him in line. Who knows, Carmen might just be the right one. Only time will tell!_

_And I'm excited for you to read them. Let's just say that when the Originals really make a big appearance, Carmen joins the darkside ;) But I mean, who wouldn't?_

* * *

**_Thank you again to all my reviewers, followers and favoriters!_**

**_I only have one pre-written chapter left after this, and my friend hasn't even started watching season 1 on my dvd, so after the next update there won't be another one for an indefinite amount of time. But in the meantime, there's my Elijah/OC fic _Doppelganger Blues_ (which for those who are reading it already, won't be updated until after chapter 10 of this fic, sorry), and the first chapter of a Klaus/OC/Elijah (but mostly Klaus) fic _The Last of Them_ which I'll be continuing in about a month or so._**

**_I hope you all understand :)_**


	10. Greased Lightning

**I'm a horrible writer and this chapter is really short :( I also tried to get this out yesterday, but my internet wasn't working (something about a proxy-connection blah)**

**BUT! I have fit into this chapter some more teaser-y Carmen info that goes hand-in-hand with her immunity to compulsion, and the fact that a vervain-filled locket made her skin tingle (did anybody pick up on that?)**

**This info was meant for chapter 11, but by putting it here I can scrap my boring plans for the next chapter… which means there might only be 4 more chapters left of season 1 after this… which means Elijah appears very soon!**

**Please enjoy :)**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Greased Lightning**

With the 50s decade dance just around the corner, Dana dragged Karen, Jane and I to the mall so we could go shopping for outfits. They went to an alternative store that sold Rockabilly dresses, but I was most definitely not a big fan of that style and found myself wandering away.

I was at a loss. Those were the only 50s-style clothes you could buy in this mall, let alone anywhere in Mystic Falls. Maybe I could ask to raid the boarding house's attic, because I knew the Salvatores had 60s clothes there, and so they might have a few pieces from the decade earlier.

But I was pushing it a bit late. The dance was tomorrow night, but right now I was out of town shopping, and tomorrow I'd be spending most of my day at school helping set up for the night. We'd all promised Dana we'd help paint banners and put up decorations.

That meant I'd be stuck with some stupid rockabilly dress. Ugh, whatever, I'd choose one right before we left the mall.

For now, I strolled into some random DVD store and drifted down the isles, not really focusing on the movies surrounding me. And then I saw it. The one movie that inspired my outfit choice.

Oh, my God. I had to get back to the others before they bought some random dresses. My idea was perfect, and I knew they'd love to be a part of it. I speed-walked through the mall back to the alternative store, finding my friends trying on puffy dresses and poodle skirts.

At the look of urgency in my eyes and the mad grin on my face, they stopped and stared at me.

"Oh, I know that look." Dana smirked, raising an eyebrow. "You've come up with a brilliant plan. Spill."

So I did, and like I assumed, they loved it. The next hour and a half was spent shopping for all the outfit pieces, and when everything we needed was actually found, a sense of relieved excitement flooded through me. It was an odd combination of emotions, but one I welcomed.

* * *

The next day flew by. I had far too much fun painting banners with my friends, and after seeing Caroline dab at Matt's arm, I started a paint fight. I was super glad Dana had sent out a reminder text to wear old clothes that morning.

After school we all went to Jane's house and got half-ready, and by that I mean we started on our hair. Jane's mum was a hairdresser so she had everything we needed. I, specifically, needed rollers in my hair. My blonde hair was naturally wavy, but a simple curling iron would not give it the volume I needed for my outfit.

When I got home with bouncy curls atop my head, I spotted Jenna tying a pink ribbon into her high ponytail. She was wearing a pink, black and yellow plaid blouse and matching pink pencil skirt with a leather belt around her waist. Topped off with pale eyeshadow and peach lipstick, she looked extremely girly.

"Since when do you have clothes that were fashionable mid last century?" I laugh, pointing at her outfit. "And in pink, nonetheless."

Jenna rolled her eyes. "I'll have you know that this isn't the first 50s-themed dance I've gone to."

"Oh, I don't doubt that." I smirked. Elena strolled in right then, looking on edge and cranky. "Wow, what crawled up your butt and died?"

She shot me a glare. "Well, somebody's PMSing."

"Ha! Not likely." I grinned. I couldn't even remember the last time I'd had my period, thanks to being on the pill and getting to skip the five days of horror if I so wished.

Wait, shit. _I_, as in _Cassie_, was on the pill. Carmen certainly wasn't, and I hadn't had a single period during the time I've spent in her body, which was _months_. There had to be a reasonable explanation. I felt around my upper arms for the 'bar' implant, but found nothing but skin and muscle.

Oh, my fucking God. I can't be compelled, and now this? What the hell is going on? I knew I wasn't pregnant, I mean, this body could be a virgin for all I knew as well. And it couldn't be my weight or diet - though I was now skinny, it was a healthy skinny, and I ate like a pig anyway.

No, no, no. I would not think about this any longer. Dwelling on it would just serve to ruin my night, and I was not going to ruin my first ever decade dance. I forced every bad and confusing thought away, focusing back on the present.

Jenna was saying something to Elena and I from the living room. "You can both keep using mine for now."

I smiled, realizing she meant her car. "Thanks, Jenna."

"So you're coming to the dance?" Elena asked, nodding to the overly pink outfit.

"Alaric asked me to help chaperone." Jenna tried to hold back a grin and failed miserably.

Elena spun around, looking cranky. Her sudden mood-swing caught both me and Jenna by surprise. And she thought _I_ was PMSing? "Why didn't you tell us, Jenna? Especially me."

Jenna's grin dropped. "Your mum was gonna do it eventually. I never thought I'd have to."

"If our mum was here right now and we asked, she'd tell us the truth." Elena pointed out, though what she said didn't make sense. She hadn't asked for the 'truth' from Jenna until right now, so was she trying to guilt Jenna into telling us what she knew? If so, it was completely unnecessary and a total bitch move.

Our aunt sighed.

"Your dad was about to leave the office one night when this girl showed up. She was sixteen, a runaway, and pregnant, just like your mum. He promised to help her raise the baby and gave her a place to stay. She refused until she was almost about to give birth. But a few days after you were born, Elena, she disappeared. And there you were.

"Miranda had given birth to you, Carmen, eight days earlier. You were a quiet baby, so they didn't think it would be hard to raise another child simultaneously. After all, they'd already offered to help the girl raise her child."

It all made sense to me, but apparently not to Elena. "But why are my parents' names on the birth certificate?"

"Your dad was a doctor, Elena." Jenna smiled, coming to stand in front of my sister. "He took care of it. They said you were twins, so the rest of the town didn't think it was unusual. Miranda gave birth to Carmen at home, and nobody had seen her until after they took you in as their own. Everybody assumed she just had surprise twins."

"But you knew."

Jenna nodded. "Yes. They didn't wanna lose you, so they kept it quiet, told as few people as possible. Despite you not being their child, they loved you as much as their own daughter. But if anyone ever wanted proof, they had documentation."

"What else do you know about her? The girl." Elena questioned, looking like she wasn't taking any of the news well. I was still mildly in shock over the new knowledge, but of course I was accepting it easier.

Jenna shook her head and shrugged. "Just her name. Isobel."

Elena nodded, and I wrapped an arm around her shoulders reassuringly. Boy, she was in for a surprise when she began her search for Isobel.

"Let's go get ready for the dance." I suggested, smiling warmly.

Elena nodded again, so we headed upstairs to do each others makeup in the bathroom. Elena just wanted cat-eye liner and some lilac eyeshadow, while I had smoky winged shadow and cherry-red lips.

"Why does your hair look like a bad 80s perm?" Elena questioned with a giggle.

I rolled my eyes. "When I have my outfit on, you'll understand."

"Hmm, sure."

We laughed and exited to our rooms, and I began putting on my outfit from where it lay on the bed. I had a pair of black disco pants from American Apparel, a tight black top with off-the-shoulder sleeves, and a pair of red peep-toe heels. I finished with a black vinyl jacket and a pair of silver hoop earrings.

I was the perfect Sandy from Grease.

I peaked my head through to Elena's room while she was blow-drying her hair so I could examine her outfit. She wore of a lavender blouse cinched at the waist with a thin pink belt, a pair of black cropped trousers, and white sneakers. Her hair was pushed back with a white headband, the back of it sitting higher than the rest. She looked like a cute, young 50s housewife.

Okay, maybe more like a cute, young, _boozy_ housewife.

I went back to my room and examined the picture of Sandy I'd googled on my phone, trying to see if I'd missed anything with her outfit. I heard Elena calling out Jenna and Jeremy's name, then she popped her head into my room.

"Did you hear someone out in the hall just then?"

"Other than you, nope." I shrugged.

Elena nodded and sighed, closing my door and heading back to her own room again. But barely seconds later I heard her footsteps pounding down the hallway and down the stairs. There was silence for a few moments, and then a shriek. I rushed out of my room in time to see a vampire wearing a hooded jumper go to attack my sister, but Stefan appeared just in time.

"Elena!" The Salvatore shouted, throwing the other vampire away from her. Said vampire then flitted away, slamming doors as he went. Stefan ran and picked Elena up from the ground, holding her close. "You okay? You're okay."

Elena nodded, holding back her frightened sobs.

After a phone call from Stefan as we'd all moved to sit on the couch, Damon was over a minute later. Elena explained what had just happened to him.

"Well, how'd he get in?" Damon demanded, pacing the couch behind us.

"He was invited in." Elena said, obviously upset over the fact.

"Well no shit." I rolled my eyes. "What Damon meant was, _why_ was he invited in? And when?"

Stefan short me a stern glance, silently telling me to be nice. "He posed as a pizza delivery guy last night."

"Well, he gets point for that." Damon stated drily.

I groaned. "Ugh. The one night I'm not home until late and a bloody vampire gets invited into the house. Fucking hell."

This earned me a glare from Stefan _and_ Elena. Damon just smirked. "Did he say what he wanted?"

"No, he was too busy trying to kill me." Elena spat, pissed at Damon and I.

"And you have no idea who this is?" Stefan questioned his brother in return.

Damon shook his head. "No." At the level stare Stefan gave him, Damon looked exasperated. "Don't look at me like that. I told you we had company."

Elena looked up at him with fear. "You think there's more than one?"

"We don't know."

Stefan was frowning. "Damon, he was invited in."

"Then we go get him tonight."

They discussed a quick plan, while I received a text from Dana.

Perky: _Jane, Karen and I are all ready, and are on our way to your house right now. You better be ready. Xxx_

* * *

I jumped in the car when my friends arrived, and I must say, we all looked amazing.

Dana was wearing a mint-green halter dress, and had her dark hair up in a high ponytail. Karen's short hair was curled like mine, and had a temporary ginger dye in it that would fade away after the first wash. She wore a white dress with puffy sleeves and black polka-dots, and had a red beaded necklace around her neck. Jane had her light brown hair half-curled, and she wore a yellow halter top with white trousers.

We all looked just like the Pink Ladies from Grease.

A Misfits song came on when we arrived to the dance, and I got way too excited, grabbing Jane's hands because she was closest and spinning around with her. Damon was chaperoning because of the vampire situation, and he pulled me away from my friends and began dancing with me.

"This music really brings back memories." Damon said distractedly, but he did seem to be enjoying himself a little.

"Tell me about it, Stud." I replied, not being able to resist.

Damon just shook his head slowly but the smile on his face let me know I was amusing him. "Why is your new history teacher staring at me?" He asked casually, twirling me around.

I laughed. "Alaric? He probably just saw you and thought 'Damn, that guy in the leather jacket looks like he would be a great drinking buddy'."

Damon half-smiled again in response, distracted by the fact he was looking around for a sign of the other vampire while we danced. I rolled my eyes, annoyed that he was just using me so he'd blend in better.

"Too bad you can't sense other vampires," I commented, smirking a little. "It would make tracking this fucker down a little easier."

Damon glanced at me curiously, and maybe a little angrily. "Will I ever find out why you know so much about us?"

"Sooner than you may think, actually. Also, you make a great Danny Zuko in that leather jacket." I laughed, pushing him away so I could go back to my friends.

We got some punch, frowning at the fact that nobody had spiked it yet. Another Misfits song came on, and I couldn't help but make my way back to the dance floor. Despite the lack of alcohol in my system, I had a pretty damn good night just dancing around with Jane, Dana and Karen. Even if Ben came over to make out with Jane far too many times.

When I got home, Elena explained that Stefan and Damon took down the vampire who'd been stalking her the past week. Then she went on to brag about how she fought back against him, stabbing him with a pencil and then snapping a broom in half to make a stake.

Maybe I should start carrying around pencils in my handbag. That seemed like it would be a good idea for anyone living in Mystic Falls.

* * *

**This is the last of what I have pre-written, and there isn't a chance I'll have my season 1 dvd back anytime soon (my friend is really busy with uni and her job, so she rarely has free time). I would watch the episodes online, but unfortunately I don't have unlimited internet and watching videos/downloading anything wastes data really quickly. Which sucks epically.**

**But I hope you like it nonetheless!**

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**Review Replies:**

**lostfeather1:** _That's exactly the reaction I wanted! I've yet to read a fic where Elena's twin isn't actually adopted, so I feel kind of proud for coming up with it. I hope I executed it well though, it took a lot of plotting and wording to make it all sound right. I'm glad you think so, and I hope you enjoy all the chapter and plot-twists that are to come. Thank you!_

**RebeliousOne:** _Either chapter 14 or 15 will be the end of season 1, but I'm really hoping it'll be chapter 14. Yes, it does! Around chapter 17 will be the arrival of Elijah (finally!), and of course, Klaus comes soon after. And I'm pleased to hear that! No, nobody 'finds out' about her, but she does tell somebody the truth. And of course, she'll tell the truth to whichever Original she chooses in the end._

_Only 1 witch knows exactly what is going on, but she won't appear in the fic until after Kol's arrival in season 3. There's way more to the Cassie/Carmen situation than I've been letting on, and you'll find out about it in pieces. When John comes to town you'll find out about Carmen's summer with him, which is VERY important, and then in season 2 she'll meet someone (not an Original) who is connected to Carmen's past. Ahh, spoilers!_

_I'm sorry if I didn't answer all your questions, but I don't know how I can without revealing too much!_

**Guest: **_I'm so glad you do! And me neither. I'm actually really considering making this a poly fic - basically, Carmen will get all the Original boys to herself and there'll be no fighting for her. Everyone wins! But I do love a good love triangle (or square). And I definitely will! Kol/OC are usually amazing, but it's had to find really good ones without added pairings. Thank you!_

**Allie:** _Thank you so much! Ahh, I love Alaric too! He's one of the few characters I never really hated (but I hate his alternate personality, so there will be none of it in this fic. SPOILERS!) I feel like if Damon never attacked her, she'd have less of a stick up her ass when it comes to vampires. I love Bonnie, but damn she annoys me sometimes! Yeah, I don't understand how Anna escaped the vampire-roundup in 1864. I guess her, and a few others, escaped in time._

_No twins in this fic! Even though I love twins... But yeah, anyway. What I meant in the last paragraph is that Carmen knows that John is Elena's dad, which makes them cousins. But she can't let Elena or anyone else know that, because she thinks they need to find out for themselves. And I don't think Cassie will ever go home. She gets given some options in the future, but by that time she'll be pretty much content with being Carmen. For all intents and purposes, she WILL be Carmen, and Cassie kinda just stops existing for her._

_I/Carmen just love how sassy Stefan is when he has no humanity. But I'm not sure how they'll interact just yet. And she definitely will! Her and Rebekah are pretty much going to be best friends. I'm really excited for that actually. And Carmen won't actually meet Katherine that much, which sucks, but I do like what I have planned better._

**Jana:** _Me too! That's why she already feels closer with Jeremy (and Jenna) than she does with Elena. And Carmen is going to subtly hint things to Jer to help him. Like that Anna sucks (literally), and that 'oh, don't you think Bonnie looks pretty today?', and stuff along those lines. She a Beremy shipper 100%._

**Jessica:** _Are you serious? Ahh thank you so much! It means a lot to me that you think so :) And as I mentioned at the start of this chapter, I can't watch the episodes online, so I hope you understand._

**kittycat166**: _Thank you, I'm so glad you do! I actually went on the website (hoping it wouldn't use too much internet data), but none of them actually worked for me. I'm not very tech-savvy so I don't know what went wrong :( But thank you for telling me about it anyway!_

**Bronzelove: **_Thank you so, so much! It makes me so happy how much you love this story, and I really hope you liked this chapter too. :)_

**Cassie1104:** _Thank you, I'm really glad you think so! I tried so hard to create character that all 3 of the brothers could fall for, without making her a Mary Sue._

_Thank you to_ **Lucy Greenhill**_, _**I Growl For Fun**_ and_**Erudessa-gabrielle**_ for your lovely reviews! I hope you liked this chapter :)_

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**Another big, _huge_ thank you to all my reviewers, followers and favoriters! I actually hit 100 followers recently, and to say I was shocked was an understatement. I'm so glad you're all liking this story!**

**Also, a big shoutout to my crazy German friend Franzi. If it weren't for her influence, this story wouldn't exist!**


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